


Secret Love Song

by thatblueskylark



Series: Until Every Last Star in the Galaxy Dies [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (but boi i love it), (yeah i know altean lance is so cliche), Altean Keith (Voltron), Altean Lance (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, I'll add more tags as i go, Lance is her younger brother, M/M, Slow Build, also Keith's name here it's Keithlan for plot purposes, also angst, altean au, and slow build, it's set before the first ep, klance, right now everything is very pg, you'll understand later!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-13
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-03-30 23:11:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 23,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13962105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatblueskylark/pseuds/thatblueskylark
Summary: “I’m honored to serve you as your new guard, Your Highness” Keith’lan’s voice came steadily as he bowed to Lance. The prince had to admit that he was speechless by the news and when Keith’lan rose and their eyes meet, his breath hitched. He suddenly realized that he would have the handsome young captain following him around every single day from now on.Story co-created with Arivael (bladechosen.tumblr.com)





	1. THE PRINCE

**Author's Note:**

> “What if you find your soulmate… at the wrong time?”  
> -unknown

     In Altea, as in every other known planet in the galaxy, the law dictates that: “In order for political and diplomatic gain, only members of the noble society may marry people of the royal family; therefore, to avoid any conflict, anyone who is not of noble birth cannot be engaged with or touch any member of the royal family”. For years the law has been enforced, although there have been rare and notable exceptions when the situation requested it. In general, it was a law that the royal family was compelled to follow and that led to many unhappy marriages in the past century.

     Lance always felt lucky that his parents’ marriage hasn’t been one of those. He could still remember the adoration in his mother’s eyes when she would look at his father, her laughter, and the teasing in her voice when they were pranking the King of Altea. One wouldn’t believe that their marriage was arranged, or that they couldn’t stand each other when they first met so many years ago. It was the queen’s favorite story to tell; Lance remembers how he and his older sister Allura would sit beside their mother when the sky turned red during those scary afternoons in which heavy, hard and boiling rocks fell from the clouds. There was really nothing to be afraid of - a forcefield protected the whole city from any disaster that may occur- but it was the sound of the rocks slamming against the surface of the translucent, hexagonal forcefield that scared him. The soft tone of his mother’s voice was the only way for Lance to forget about it all, as his mother pulled him to her lap and retold, with a smile on her face, the first time she saw his father.

     Allura loved the story; she would constantly tell their mother that she and Alfor were soulmates, and how it was written in the stars that the King and Queen of Altea were meant to be together. Queen Laylla would just laugh sweetly at her daughter’s words, placing a hand on her cheek, and sigh as if she was going to say something but suddenly got lost in a memory.

     In Lance’s memories, he could see Allura clearly; her asking thousands of questions to their mother about what she felt when their father kissed her for the first time, or how she reacted to his love letters, or if she had any other suitors in her heart before she met him... things six-year-old Lance didn’t find interesting at all. Lance would grimace and roll his eyes at her. Allura always found his actions annoying, but their mother was always there to stop them from fighting.

     "You should not scoff at your sister, Lance," the queen would say, holding her son closer in her arms, a teasing smile painting her face. "One day, _you_ will fall in love with someone and understand."

     Lance only frowned at this idea, looking at his sister who seemed to be very pleased to have their mother's approval on this matter. The queen would chuckle at her son’s reaction.

     “I hope you _both_ find someone special, just like I did. That’s all I ever want for you.”

 

 

**-o-**

 

     It was a Red day, as they called them, when their beloved Queen Laylla died. She passed in the early light of the sun by an chronic illness that ran common throughout her family. It seemed the rain of heavy, hot rocks fell harder than they normally did that day - almost like the planet was trying to make up for the barely audible pats of her heartbeat.

     The strange illness had drained her light and happiness by every passing day. It erased her smile, took away the sparkle in her eyes, and to make matters worse, she’s forgotten who she and the people around her were. Lance didn’t understand at first what was going on with his mother and why nobody would let him visit her. It wasn’t until his father finally let her have visitors that he understood: The queen couldn’t even recognize her own son anymore.

     The day the news of her death broke into the kingdom, no sound could be heard except for the rattle sound of the rocks hitting the surface of the force field. It was a silence so overwhelming that Lance didn’t know if he should cry, scream, or just deny everything.

     His mother was _dead_.

     No one spoke. No one seemed to be able to even breathe. Lance and Allura rushed to their mother’s chambers. No one chastised them for running.

     The two didn’t know how to feel about that.

     Lance stared down a corpse that once had been a ruler. A mother. A wife. Queen Laylla’s head rested placidly over countless pillows that had been placed around her. She seemed to be sleeping, but it wasn’t her anymore; not like Lance remembered her. The queen’s face lacked the rosy cheeks that were so distinctly _hers_ , her silver hair missing its stunning brightness. Her lips, ones that had spoken words so soft, were cracked and dry. She was gone.

     The sound of the Temple’s bells finally broke the terrible silence that devoured the castle. Citizens flinched at the doleful sound, which made them face reality. Lance’s breath hitched, a shy whimper sounding to him before he began to sob. He couldn’t think about anything else from that day, his mind being a jumbled mess of memories that didn’t connect to anything in particular. The sight of his mother in bed, adorned with cracked lips and a lost look was engraved into his brain. He didn’t think he would ever forget it.

     Nothing was ever really the same in the castle after that day. Allura barely smiled, her brightness dimming with each passing day. She would avoid mirrors; people had always told her she looked exactly like her mother. The King of Altea immersed himself in his work, his smile now rare to his children. He spent every waking hour focused on his current project, the construction of a great robotic warrior that would protect the Altean people from any enemy they would encounter. He spent most of his time in the Galra empire or with his fellow friends, staying as far away from home as possible. It was obvious the king wanted to avoid thinking about his deceased wife.

     But how did the little prince react?

Lance was numb in every way possible. He isolated himself in his bedroom, barely going out. The little boy who used to bustle about the castle making everyone smile was nowhere to be found. Instead, Lance slipped away, fading out with every passing day. He was proof that people could die in more than one way.

     The only person who dared to do something about the royal family’s depression was Coran, their royal advisor. Coran had taken it upon himself to be more than just an advisor. He became a friend, a father figure, and a shoulder to cry on. It was needless to say that Coran didn’t approved of the king’s decision to ignore his family, but there was nothing he could really do about it. The king grieved in his own way.

 

 

**-o-**

 

     Lance first snuck out of the castle grounds when he was 11 years old. He didn’t know why he did it- maybe because he was bored, or was tired of seeing the same castle walls from day to day, or maybe just to simply rebel. He was only out for a few hours, which he spent walking coyly through the streets filled with life. The environment amazed him: he watched people go by, exploring the market, seeing people laugh, seeing them _living_. He was surprised no one recognized him. Then again, nobody outside the castle had seen the royal family in years. After pushing the thought to the back of his mind, Lance let down his walls. The prince finally let himself loose, let himself run and see and laugh with other boys who were playing in the nearby park, smiling again and letting himself forget of the tedious life he had in the castle. It was the sweetest - and only - escape he had experienced in a long time.

     When he came back home, however, he realized, with an odd feeling in his chest, that no one had noticed his departure. Part of him was overflowing with excitement because he had managed to fool the castle staff, but he also felt something he didn’t quite recognize it yet.

     If no one had realized he was gone… was he even really cared about?

     After dining with his family and the hype of his escapade slowly dying, he dismissed himself to his room, a sick feeling churning in his stomach. He laid down on his bed, the softness of his silk sheets feeling rather raspy against his skin as he tried his best to ignore the sickening feeling.

     From that moment on, Lance’s afternoon walks through the city only increased. It became a coping mechanism for him. It didn’t take Allura long to notice the change, spotting his dirty clothes and rare smiles that were now more regular than before. She didn’t waste time before she decided to follow her little brother one day, stopping behind him as he was about to jump from a window to the garden below.

     “Just what do you think you’re doing, Lance?” Allura asked, stepping closer to the window and staring at her brother with a raised brow, arm folded neatly over her chest.

     Lance yelped and fell back from the window onto the stone white floor. He rubbed his back and winced, hurt from the fall.

     “Allura! Don’t scare me like that!”

     “I’m scaring you!? Lance, this is the fourth time you’ve snuck out of the castle. Take a guess on who’s more scared!”

     “Actually, this is the sixth...”

     “Lance!”

     “...and definitely not Father. I bet he hasn’t even noticed I’m gone.”

     Silence.

     “Look, Lance, I know it’s been… hard, but--”

     “It’s been hard for everyone, I know that,” Lance said, frowning at the sour words that fell from his lips, finally letting out what he had been keeping to himself for so long. “But while we’re here alone wasting away, Father ignores us and spends time with his court every day building that Voltron or whatever. It’s not fair. Doesn’t he miss mom? Doesn’t he miss us?”

     “You know he doesn’t ignore us on purpose,” Allura’s voice was sad as she took another step closer to her brother, holding him by his shoulder. “We need to stick together. I don’t like that you go to the city alone. What if something bad happens to you?”

     Lance didn’t have anything to say about that.

     Deep down, he knew the reason he snuck out more often wasn’t from boredom, but for attention. If his father ever found out about his sneak-outs, Lance would at least know that he worried about him. It was hard for him to accept, but Lance knew that it didn’t really matter. His father would never notice, let alone care. At least his sister was there for him.

     He spent that night catching up with Allura, talking in hushed tones inside her room about everything ever and nothing at all. Their easy conversation felt childish, reminding Lance about how he and his sister interacted when they were younger and their mother was still alive. It was a nice feeling, something he recognized and had forgotten about it. A wave of nostalgia hit him as their conversation went from the people of the city to the topic of their mother’s beauty.

     Of course, Lance never stopped sneaking out. Even if he knew his cry for attention from his father was in vain, traveling to the city was still a fun experience. He enjoyed walking through the busy streets of the capital, making friends, and learning about life outside of the castle. It was refreshing, not being treated like royalty all the time. Coran and Allura could notice the difference in Lance’s personality; although his smile still didn’t shine as brightly as it did in his childhood, he’d begun to find joy rather than isolating himself from it.

 

 

 

**-o-**

 

     As the years went on, the castle staff whispered about the little boy turning into a handsome and boisterous young man; the soul of the party, the center of attention. Lance knew he was attractive, and this confidence turned him into a little bit of a Casanova, flirting with whomever he fancied just to see their reactions. They were being wooed by a prince, after all. Did he purposely want to find someone special? Not really. He didn’t feel the need to be with someone. He flirted for the fun of it, but never shared more than a kiss on the cheek. He still believed that he would never find someone special, not like his mother had told him. He couldn’t believe her, not after witnessing the coldness of his father. Why fall for someone if they’ll just try to forget you once you’re gone? He didn’t want that.

     Love was a dangerous thing; everyone knew that. Back when his mother was alive, he had believed that love was the handmade craft of fate: a story the stars wrote every day as they watched over and cared for every living creature in the cosmos. Although he never admitted it to anyone, he _did_ believe it. That love was real and beautiful.

     He was wrong.

     Everything his mother had told him was a lie, a mere illusion for a small boy to forget that his future was bound to sadness and struggles, to keep his childhood innocence aflame. Since his mother died that sparkle had left him, instead being replaced with the reality of life, and his father was a good example of that.

     The King of Altea had changed completely after his wife died. Lance noticed the difference as well as all of the planet. The joyful and reckless young King was now only a shell of the person that he used to be. Lance didn’t want to end like his father, he didn’t want to fall in love only for his love to be taken away from him. He feared love, and he feared the solitude that might ensue if he ever gave his heart to someone. The ladies of the court, as well as the young lords who he’d flirted with didn’t seem to notice that his attentions were merely games he used to pass the time, trying to fill his need to feel with their company.

     Lance knew that his actions would bring him problems in the future; he was a prince after all and just like his sister, he had a role to fulfill. He knew that eventually there would have to be a wedding, and that wedding would be held with the sole purpose of making alliances. Love had nothing to do with it, so why bother with falling in love if his fate was already written? Might as well enjoy the freedom he had now before he was condemned to be with someone he didn’t love.

     The prince of Altea knew his behavior was something the court discussed a lot, and it was a topic that his father disliked about his son, but Lance didn’t care. The King never seemed to be too worried, sighing and shaking his head only to say “It’s the age.” or “Soon he’ll grow out of it.” He might be right, the prince thought to himself, it might only be the age; the age of enjoying life, the age of not caring about what people said about him, or the age of not showing his real emotions to anyone.

     Lance was content with that fact, trying not to give too much thought to the matter. He would just ignore it, just like his father had been ignoring the problem… Everything would be alright.

     Everything would be alright.

 

 

**-o-**

 

     Lance had just turned 20 when the tragedy happened. The news of Zarkon and Honerva’s death did not take long to reach the ears of every being in the known galaxy; a dreadful day for his father. The prince could see it in his eyes, it was not enough for life to take away his beloved wife, now it had also taken the life of two of his most precious friends. the king was now the shadow of a man, a tired and lonesome man, a man whose years had fallen onto his shoulders like a grim reminder that everything had a final day. Allura and himself were shocked to hear the news of the Galran rulers’ deaths, having knowing them since they were children, the memories of Lord Zarkon giving them presents for their stardays, celebrating with the laughter of all the other paladins of Voltron burned onto their memories. However, nothing could have prepared them for what came next.

     Not much time had passed since, the pain still tangible in the air of the castle when the king became speechless one morning, eyes fixed on the screen that appeared right in front of them. The transmission showed not only a very much alive Lord Zarkon but also the promise of a war that Lance feared might never end.

     After that moment and with pain in the faces of some Galran citizens, the war started. The Galra were known for their cunning tactics and diligence to their cause; it took no time for them to rally against the Alteans and every person who might stand in their way. If they wanted Voltron, they’d make sure they’d get it.

     To Lance, everything was quite ironic: Voltron was designed to keep Altea and the universe safe, and now it was the very thing putting them all in danger.

     Altea was quick to take safety precautions. They closed borders and recruited young citizens to join the military. Along with the recruiting came drawn-out, boring promotion ceremonies that Lance and Allura were forced to sit through, watching as soldiers walked up to the stage and claimed their new titles/ranks.

     That is, the ceremonies were boring until Lance started paying attention to how cute some of the soldiers were. They looked so well put together, with their polished uniforms, and their toned muscles, and--

     Lance’s eyes widened as he aimed for a closer look at the young man walking to the podium. His back was straight, chin up, his strong frame and cold expression particularly capturing the young prince’s attention. The man looked younger than any other soldier he had seen that morning. Huh. That was weird. Weren’t they supposed to be calling up the ‘captain to-be’? The thought quickly fled Lance’s mind as the soldier began reciting the Altean Soldier’s vow. Oh lord, his voice was incredibly rich too.

     “Congratulations, Captain Keith’lan!” called the king’s voice, booming across the hall. Lance watched the soldier don a red cape, the symbol of the royal guard. It was surprising to see such a young man being named as captain; most of the military leaders and superiors were never that young and this only made him even more curious as to how this soldier received the merit so early in his life.

     “Quite charming, isn’t he?” came Allura’s voice beside him, her whisper taking him out of his trance. Lance blushed, and Allura just winked.

     Lance thought he couldn’t be any more embarrassed until he made eye contact with Keith’lan. Their eyes met for only a fraction of a second, but he noticed the captain’s gaze soften slightly when their eyes met.

     The prince smiled to himself. “I saw him first, dear sister,” he said half-jokingly as he winked at Allura, which made her chuckle.

     For the rest of the ceremony, Lance’s eyes found themselves wandering back over to a certain mop of black hair and a pair of purple-grey eyes.

 

 

**-o-**

 

     It took no time for the new captain of the royal guard to become the main topic of gossip throughout the castle, which didn’t surprise Lance in the slightest. Keith’lan was young and handsome with an air of mystery about him; everything that you could ever wish for. He almost felt a twinge of jealousy since the attention was being diverted away from him, but he was partaking in the gossip as well, so he wasn’t exactly innocent. It was the mystery of his character, Lance decided, that made the captain so popular with the ladies; the air of self-confidence that hung around him made all the magic. Only a handful of things were known about Keith’lan: his age, his military history, and his fierce devotion to serving Altea and its King. Even Lance yearned to know more.

     Well, Lance yearned for more than just knowledge. Although he wouldn’t admit it, he caught himself staring at Keith’lan’s figure while training more than once. He’d even sighed at the sight of the captain one time, much to his chagrin. Cringing at the memory, Lance averted his attention back to watch the guards train from up in the balcony.

     “Impressive, is it not?” said Coran, catching Lance staring down at where the captain was sparring with some new recruits. Lance’s face flushed and nodded slowly. Coran, seemingly unaffected by the prince’s reaction, twirled his mustache with his finger and continued speaking, “Only twenty-two and already a Captain. That boy has a strong will, let me tell you. He’s a high-class soldier.”

     Lance replied with a hum, turning back to the now panting Keith’lan, who just dodged a particularly powerful kick. “The castle can’t seem to stop talking about him, ladies mostly…” the prince mused, knowing Coran was still behind him.

     “Ah, yes,” Coran sighed, his voice nostalgic, “Young people tend to do that a lot,” Lance didn’t need to turn around to know that he was nodding his head in agreement, still playing with his mustache. “I still remember the days where young ladies would fight over the Great Coranic!”

     Lance couldn’t help a chuckle escaping his lips. He turned to see Coran wink at him.

     “...Although, I am most surprised about yourself, your highness-- I was sure you were going to have the young Captain at your mercy by now.”

     Lance’s face had never turned so red so fast in his life. He looked at his counselor with wide eyes, only to find Coran smiling at him teasingly.

     “I was just pointing out the obvious, your highness. after all, you do have a ...uh … reputation.”

     Lance did have a reputation, he couldn’t deny that. But to hear one of his father figures speaking so freely about it? He prayed a Weblum would emerge from the ground and swallow him whole.

     Although, he wouldn't deny it; he had thought about flirting with the new captain. However, it seemed nearly impossible. Keith’lan was always doing something; always busy, never in one spot for too long. Lance could never find him when he wanted- and when he did find him, he was surrounded by ladies, drowning in dreamy eyes and soft giggles. Oddly enough, the captain never reciprocated, always excusing himself from the sugar-coated words and the longing sighs only to return to his duties. With satisfaction, Lance noted that he seemed more relieved to be out of the circle of women than pleased to be the center of their favors.

     Hence, Lance wouldn’t flirt with Keith’lan now. He refused to compete with the ladies. But that didn’t mean Lance wouldn’t _entertain his eyes_ with his figure.

     Snapping back to reality, Lance watched as Coran walked away, making sure he was far away before placing his hand on his cheek, still feeling the heat of his blush over his face. With a sigh of resignation, Lance turned back to the window only to see a pair of violet eyes locked onto his.

     His stomach churned as Keith’lan studied him from below. The captain’s sweat-soaked hair clung to his skin, framing his face. His chest heaved from all the exercise.The two of them stood like that for a moment, watching each other, neither of them knowing what to do until Lance broke the gaze, not being able to hold it for much longer. He felt naked under Keith’lan’s eyes, as if the captain could see through him and knew why he was standing there.

     The prince scurried away from the window rather quickly, flustered over the rather intimate moment they shared. That was the first time they had acknowledged each other’s presence since the ceremony.

 

 

-o-

     The gossip of the captain came and went just as fast as it started. Although most ladies still flirted with the captain to no avail, It was amusing to see all the girls (young and mature) throw themselves at him -ready to make him owner of their hearts- only to be rejected. Lance couldn’t help to hide a furtive smile every time Keith’lan excused himself to go elsewhere when the ladies were so obviously vying for his affection. Disdained looks and hateful words were thrown at the poor captain’s back, and the popularity he’d gained in his short time in the castle began evaporating just as quickly until no Altean attempted to woo him anymore.

     However, there were some others who were a little bit more headstrong in their objectives. The prince had to admit that it was quite impressive.

     Lady Messalina was, as many other girls from the court, a young maiden who just had been presented into the society and her sole objective was to find a good husband. It seemed she had put her eyes on the biggest prize at the moment -- her intentions for the captain hadn’t diminished even when all the others had taken the hint. The young girl with the captivating green eyes and soft pink curls had eyes only for Keith’lan, and while it was fun to see the poor captain struggling to get away from the pining lady, the prince couldn’t help shake his head. For once, he took pity of the captain and came to his aid.

     “Lady Messalina! There you are.” Lance approached the pair.

     The situation was rather uncomfortable for the helpless captain. The girl was practically glued to his side, determined to keep him from his duties. Keith’lan looked up at the prince’s call, suddenly stiffening with a bow, and Messalina **_finally_ ** turned her gaze away from him. The lady blushed when she realized who was calling for her, and hastily took a bow for the prince.

     “My prince, I did not know you sought for me,” she replied, confused gaze diverting back to Keith’lan. The Captain, for his part, was staring at the prince with a silent plea. The prince offered the Captain a smile before turning his eyes back to the girl.

     “I spoke with your lady mother the other day, and she told me you have a marvelous recipe for a face mask. I was hoping you wouldn’t mind sharing it with me.”

     Lady Messalina frowned in confusion; maybe because she never expected the prince to ask her for a recipe or maybe because the sole thought of his highness and her mother talking about beauty products would have never crossed her mind otherwise. Taking this advantage, Lance took her gently by her arm and nodded at Keith’lan.

     “I hope you don’t mind if I take your lovely companion away from you, Captain,” he offered with a furtive wink. Lady Messalina opened her mouth to complain, but Keith’lan was faster.

     “Of course not, your highness.” He bowed deeply once more. “I was headed for training myself, and I’m sure it would have bored the lady.”

     “Oh! But not at--”

     “It’s settled then” Lance spoke over Lady Messalina’s voice, not giving her any room to argue. Looking all too pleased, he guided the heartbroken girl away from her love.

     Besides Lady Messalina’s crazy infatuation, not many others chased the Captain anymore. Keith’lan never gave anyone the chance to do so. It was amazing to observe, almost captivating. How was Keith’lan so strong-willed? He hadn’t blushed, smiled, nor even flirted back with any of the women or the lords. How did he not fall for at least _one_? Was he even interested?

     It smelled like a challenge to Lance. He would get Keith’lan to blush at him, no matter what… that would be more than enough for him.

 

 

**-o-**

 

     Before the war started, staying inside the castle wasn’t bad. Lance had his sister to keep him company, and they would walk and laugh and chat about every little thing they found interesting. He missed those days, so free of preoccupations and agony, when Allura wasn't eternally stressed about the future of their planet and his father at least tried to spend more time with them. It was hard to see how his sister could barely breathe under her burden of the war, and how his father didn’t trust him with any military decision; even when he had proved himself interested in the matter. Nothing Lance did would prove to the king that his son was not as shallow and reckless as he seemed to be.

     His usuals sneak outs were his only escapades from the heartache that he felt inside the castle. He was of no use in the war meetings; he always felt like he was intruding, not being able to take charge or give his opinion on a matter. He would be ignored, as always, and he would be treated as a little boy who didn’t know anything about war.

     Outside, under the blue autumn sky of the city and the warmth and protection of his coat, Lance knew he was wanted, even if only through the words of assurance he gave to others. It actually worked out quite nicely. The prince could listen to the problems of the people and make sure that the troubles they were facing could get through the castle walls and reach the king and his court.

     Unbeknownst to Altea’s enemies, it was quite difficult to go in and out of the castle. High-security cameras and soldiers on patrol made it a little complicated. Lance had been incredibly lucky that nobody had caught him sneaking out when he was a child.

     The task became a challenge to him. It took many errors to finally find the perfect way out of the castle, but he finally came up with one that guaranteed success and no detection. His strategy was so obvious yet so intricate, and it was also very dangerous if he wasn’t careful. After all, falling down the laundry chute without breaking his neck was a skill Lance had managed to acquire with years of practice.

     Lance had created the perfect escape route in a series of steps he liked to call: _“Lance’s guide to sneaking out”_. For the prince, this wasn't only a guide, but a religious practice. Every step had to be followed perfectly if he wanted it to be a success.

 

 

-o-

 

_ **“Lance’s guide to sneaking out”** _

 

     Step one: Learn the soldiers’ schedule for patrol.

     This wasn’t something out of the ordinary for anyone who wanted to sneak out. If one soldier caught him wandering around mysteriously, he was done.

     He learned that fact the second time he tried to go to the city. There were too many soldiers around his room and he couldn’t move from where he was. He had to wait until every one of those soldiers were finally gone for him to get out. Lance had managed to perfectionate this step rather quickly as time went by, and he had no problems with it; although now with Keith’lan as captain, he had to admit that the security of the place had increased. There were still some gaps he could use to sneak out of the castle, but it was definitely more complicated than before.

     Lance waited until a soldier walked down the hall and bolted out of the library.

     Step two: Mislead everyone.

     There was no way he could go into the city if he didn’t have an alibi. He mostly did this to confuse Coran and Allura; if they thought he was doing something else (like reading in the library or doing some of his royal chores,) there was no way that they would give the alarm that he was missing.

     Today was a calm day in the castle, not much movement except for the normal everyday frenzy. Lance could hear his father and his court in the ‘war room’. Allura had invited him to the meeting, but he wasn’t sure he was going to be very welcomed there, being “too flamboyant” to strategize; besides, it was time for him to check on the citizens of the capital and see if everyone was safe. Lance turned down his sister’s invitation to the meeting, stating that he wanted to read more of the history of the Galra before getting involved with the war. It was true that he was learning everything he could of the Galra Empire, but this time he was glad Allura didn’t pressure him to go.

     Step three: The disguise.

     This might be the easiest part of all his plan and also the most fun to do. As soon as he entered his room Lance started to take off every piece of jewelry he had on, every earring, every necklace, every fancy piece of gold that might catch the eye of the commoner people of the city. Lance might like to use a little bit too many of those but it was fun to see himself without any shiny gold on his reflection once he was done.

     The last thing that he would take off was his crown. That thin golden metal piece that carried so much meaning to him and his people, there was peace in his mind every time he took it off his forehead, staring back at his reflection from his mirror and seeing not the prince that he was, but another boy, he was only a boy.

     Step four: The laundry chute

     Up until that moment everything had been ‘simple’. The distractions, the disguise, it was a kid’s game in comparison of what he was about to do. If Allura ever discovered… She would kill him, that was for sure, she worried enough knowing that he escaped to the city still even after so many years. The laundry chute wasn’t the safest way to get out of the castle. He knew this, but it was the only way he would get down without anyone realizing he had gone out of his room in the first place.

     It was incredible how no one had made the connections yet, even after all those years. It was as if the people of the castle staff weren’t even trying to find out how he escaped the castle.

     He discovered that route by going to the laundry room once when he was fourteen. He was looking for an earring he accidentally throw into the laundry chute with all his dirty clothes. the lady who guided him inside was very kind and she nicely let him go find the missing item, the laundry room almost empty. He didn’t mind it at first, though it strike him as odd. Lance did not say anything until he got to his laundry basket, a big metal container where all his dirty clothes lay.

     “Make haste, young prince.” the lady said as he still looked for his earing. “Before everyone returns from dinner,” Lance nodded at her, finally finding the ridiculous small jewelry piece. He thanked her, smile on his face before he trotted out of the room.

     Ever since that moment, after dinner or after breakfast, when the castle staff were eating contently, Lance would go down the laundry chute, a long yet fun fall to take before hitting the metal container filled with sheets and clothes softening the fall. The first time he ever fell down it he was scared, having to bit his lips not to scream at the fear of finding something dangerous at the other end. Thankfully nothing like that ever happened

     Step Five: The garden

     Once he was on the ground and out of the laundry room, Lance practically jumped out of the container, long legs rushing to the door that led to the garden. Prying open the door slightly, Lance observed two guards standing next to each other at the other end of the garden, talking cheerfully to one another. He couldn’t quite make what they were saying, but they sure sounded entertained as their laughs were loudly enough to be heard to where he was hiding.

     “You two sound very jolly” A voice suddenly said. The prince for a moment thought that it was going to be the end of him, quickly going to close the door before he saw the back of the altean who was talking. It was the captain of the guard. Lance bit his lips softly, uncertain of  
what to do before he decided to stay by the door, at least just for a little longer.

     “We are just passing the time, sir,” One of the soldiers said, his eyes knitted at Keith’lan. Lance couldn’t see the captain’s face but for the reaction of the other soldier, he was sure it was not a pretty one. The other soldier, the one who had talked, he didn’t seem pleased that the captain had caught them chatting.

     “You are on duty, soldier. We are all in duty.” Keith’lan replied, going one step forwards to the insolent soldier, his back straight, his hands holding each other at his back. “And more so, we are in war with the Galra, shouldn’t you be a little more concern about the fact that they would try anything to get inside the castle? We know how they are, we know how they attack, so don’t be surprised if they try to sneak into the castle. You should always be on guard, understood?” It wasn’t a question, Lance noticed, it was an order; but it was phrased so that the soldier finally looked down ashamed. He wondered why some soldiers were still so reluctant on having Keith’lan as their captain.

     The captain looked finally pleased once they assure him that the incident wasn’t going to repeat, and silently walked away turning on their heels to another part of the garden. It would have been then, if it weren't for the fact that Keith’lan was still there, that he would have gone through the garden and squish himself through the bushes, climbing up on of their trees to finally jump to the other side.

     Lance knew he should close the door, he knew he couldn’t let himself be caught, but he kept staring at the captain’s back anyway, unable to pry his eyes away from his figure as he walked through the garden one last time before leaving. He looked… tired, alone. It was the first time that he had seen him without company. For a moment the captain looked just as trapped as he was. the prince was tempted to go out of his hideout for only a moment, stopping himself before Keith’lan finally sighed, shaking his head and turning his way.

     Wide blue eyes panicked at the sight of the captain walking towards the laundry door. His mind going faster than ever as he went back to hide in the nearest container. The prince couldn’t see at that moment, but he could hear well. The door opened completely, and after a moment in which felt like minutes to him, he could finally hear the door closing again.

     It took him a moment before he finally recovered himself, his heart beat going back to normal and slowly peeking out of the container just to make sure he wasn’t there still. Lance sighed with relief when he noticed he was all alone in the room, walking towards the door, he opened the door again, this time walking out as the soldiers from before weren’t there and the others haven’t yet arrived to that point of the garden. The prince did not waste much time on wonder if there was anyone watching, rushing to the bushes and climbing the old big tree.

     Just one jump away from freedom.

 

 

**-o-**

 

     The streets were filled with people that day. Although the cheerfulness of the old days had almost disappeared from the atmosphere of the city, the alteans were still roaming the streets, continuing their lives as normal as they would. Lance didn’t know if they were trying to ignore the fact that they were at war, keeping their heads busy in their jobs, or if the daily work was some sort of coping mechanism from the heartache of knowing that probably soon they will hear of the news of some dear one passing away.

     He walked through the streets, his head covered by the dark hood of his cape and his eyes wondering acutely to his sides, making sure that he wasn’t drawing attention. The prince knew already that his presence was not something surprising to the citizens of the capital, but he would rather not make any of them notice him for the time being, there were plenty of guards all around the city and he did not want them to drag him by the ears back to the castle as if he were a little kid.

     As he made his way downtown he noticed the little children playing outside, their toys being the center of their imagination. What he would give to be a child again, they were unaware of what was happening, unaware of the grim expressions on their parent's faces. He ignored if they fully comprehend the reality of the situation, watching how one kid lift his Voltron figure, obviously handmade, and laughed as he crushed it towards another figure that he guess would be the terrible Zarkon. In the kid’s defense she was likely to be 4 stars of age, yet the other kids, the older children who were playing around too, they had an unmistakable expression, one of someone who knew something was not right.

     “Lance!” a voice called him, his body tensing before sighing in relief when he noticed who it belonged the voice.

     “Kella, how are you?” Lance smiled at the girl who had run towards him, her long violet hair tied in her typical ponytail, her basket filled with flowers from her family’s garden.

     The first time that he saw her she was crying at the corner of an alley, her basket still filled with flowers. He asked her what was wrong, why she was crying. -- _I didn’t sell all the flowers_ \-- she had replied -- _and my family needs the money_ \--. That day Lance helped her sell every flower she could, and the remaining ones she couldn’t sell he bought them and gave it to her as a present, (saving one for Allura, of course). It was a shock to her family when she introduced him to them, the mother gasping and almost dropping the flower pot she was holding in her hands. Obviously, they had recognized him, unlike their daughter who raised a confused brow at them, not understanding why they were acting like that.

     Kella and her family were one of the many friends he had made in his trips to the city and he was always willing to help them. Today, however, Kella seemed rather unwell. Her face lacked the happiness she always portrayed and her smile seemed to be somehow fake. Lance blamed the war.

     “What are you doing here, Lance? Shouldn’t you be in the castle now that there is a war?”

     “For the gods, Kella, this is how you greet a friend?” Lance chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s been a long time, tell me, how are you doing? how is your family? do you need any help?”

     The young altean didn’t seem content with the questions, her eyes shifting to the sides, biting her lips. Lance could notice something was not right there, and crouching down he placed his hands on her shoulders. “Hey, what’s wrong? Is your family alright?”

     Looking down for a moment the girl took a deep breath, shaking her head “No, it’s nothing, really” She smiled, although Lance could notice she was lying. He decided to not ask any questions yet, he was sure that she would tell him eventually. “you want to go to my house? My parents miss you a lot!” She said as she held his hand suddenly.

     The prince nodded, smiling back at her. Maybe he could ask her parents why she was acting so strangely, hoping that he could do something about it. The war was something that had changed the way many of his people acted, but if there was a way to make her more at ease then he would do whatever to make her see that everything was not lost.

     They started walking together, Kella telling him everything that had happened since the last time he saw her. How his father was now serving as a technician for army, and how her mother was attending their little flower shop all on her own now. It broke his heart to hear about it, he knew how much it meant that shop to Kella’s father, but he also knew that he was a fine computer technician and sadly, in war, they had to use every person they could. At least her father wasn’t in the front lines, fighting along other young soldiers. He was also glad Kella wasn’t old enough to be there, it was a messy and horrible thing, not fit for a ten stars of age girl.

     It was not until later in the conversation that he noticed something.

     “Kella, wait…” He looked around the place, the images he had of the places he had visited from the city not matching the scenery he had in front of him “I think we’re lost, this isn’t the way to you house”

     Kella did not answer, she just continue guiding him towards a narrow street. It was not until he looked down at her that he noticed the shaking of her hand, gripping it tightly. Lance stopped making Kella jerk back taken aback from the sudden halt. The little girl turned to him, her beautiful green eyes filled with tears.

     “Kella, what’s wrong? What’s going on?” Lance kneeled down, his concern growing rapidly as the girl only shook her head, letting her cries be now obvious to him.

     “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry your majesty!” She cried, denying Lance the chance to hug her or even say something. Kella dropped the flower basket she had on her arms and ran away from where they were standing. Lance stared at her back disappearing into the shadows of the street, hesitant on following her when he noticed the glow of two pairs of yellow eyes watching in the darkness. Suddenly the fear began to crawl down his spine: It was a trap.

     His hand quickly went to his belt, taking his Bayard and calling his weapon. Back in the castle he had not been a fan of training, he had done the necessary exercises and played around with the training bot, but he was not used to a close range combat, so unlike the galra from what he had seen. Lance’s Bayard soon transformed into a bow, pulling the energy string back to his cheek waiting for the right moment to shoot. However, those two eyes moved way too fast for him to even do something, shooting his arrows as they approached him.

     Lance cursed himself for not practicing more with Allura. The galra knew what they were doing, only seeking to knock him out as they kept hitting with their bare hands, never taking out their swords from their scabbard. His Bayard was not meant for a fight like this and so was his body, finally kneeling down on one knee, panting and sweating, holding himself up only by his bow.

     “This is their prince?” He could hear one galra saying “He barely knows how to fight, I was told the Alteans were great fighters, this is a disappointment.”

     He frowned, growling at them, his eyes looking up to where the galra were smirking at him, obviously pleased by their work.

     “Still awake I see”

     The hit was quick, he didn’t even feel the pain of the weapon knocking his head out cold. What would his father say to this? What would his sister do? What were the galra trying to do with him? All those questions ran through his mind at the same time, his body finally giving up as his eyes closed. He was disgusted with himself, ashamed and embarrassed to be such an easy prey for them.

     However, he noticed something, right before the world became black and his body hit the ground-- There was someone, someone was rushing towards him with sword in hand. that was everything he saw before his world disappeared into the darkness.


	2. THE GUARD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith'lan's job begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ❝ There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable. ❞  
> Mark Twain

    The sensation was similar to waking up from a deep slumber, disorientation, and confusion filling his head as he opened his eyes, the sharp pain on the side of his head making him hiss and curl back into the darkness and the warmth he felt around him. At first, he could not recognize where he was or why someone kept calling his name but, after a moment of complete numbness, the memories of what had previously happened started to become clearer by the second and he could feel a pair of arms holding him, giving him more support as one hand cupped his face. It took him some time to finally be able to fix his gaze on the person who was still calling him, his jet black hair falling onto a sweaty frame and his cheeks flushed from exertion, still panting as if he had just run a marathon.

 

    “Cap-Captain?” Lance exclaimed, his voice sounding raspier than he intended, his throat feeling dry. Lance tried to move his hands, finally feeling his limbs ache and taking consciousness of his body. Captain Keith’lan was holding him close to his chest, his bright violet hues staring right into his own blue eyes. Keith’lan sighed in relief once he saw him wake up, the ghost of a small smile painted on his face. Lance was at a loss at his reaction, but the memories of the recent events suddenly rushed into his mind. He jolted in the captain’s arms, eyes flying wide open.

 

    “Where’s Kella!? What happened to the Galra?” He shouldn’t have done that. The pain in his head became sharper, forcing his eyes shut again.

 

    “Your Highness, please, don’t distress yourself.” Keith’lan tried to hold him still, which proved to be a difficult task as the prince continued to turn his head, completely ignoring the headache that still lingered and threatened to get worse. “Prince Lance, you need to hold still, you may have a concussion.”

 

    Every attempt to calm him down, however, was all for naught. The prince’s main concern lay elsewhere, his eyes trying to find the little girl who had bolted the moment the galra appeared. Lance knew her, he knew she would never betray his trust like this unless she was being forced to do so, and if that was the case then it meant that her entire family was in danger. He couldn’t understand how the galra had infiltrated the capital or how they found out that Kella’s family was one of the few he frequented when he escaped the castle, but the revelation was alarming..   

 

    “But Kella… Is she alright? Have you seen the little girl who was here?” Lance’s eyes turned again to see the captain’s expression, noticing how his breath was finally becoming even.

 

    “I’m sorry, your highness. I didn’t notice where the little girl went, I was more concerned by the fact that the son of my king was being attacked and almost kidnapped by our enemies.”

 

    The statement made Lance bite his lips apprehensively as he stared back at the Captain. Keith’lan sounded exhausted, shoulders drooping with a sigh now that Lance had finally stopped searching for the little girl. His tone had been more dripping with worry than a scold and, internally, Lance was thankful for that.

 

    “What happened to the galra?” Lance dared ask, noticing that he couldn’t see them nearby.

 

    Keith'lan huffed in exasperation. “They escaped,” came a growl, the anger evident in the captain’s voice. Lance wondered if Keith’lan felt responsible for their escape  just as he felt  responsible for leading the Galra to the girl’s family. 

 

“I already requested some back--” his sentence was interrupted by the sound of a voice coming from his communication device. Lance couldn’t hear it well, only making out unintelligent noises that came out of it. He gathered it was the back-up the captain had just been talking about.

 

    The young captain was still holding him close even as he spoke through the commlink, reluctant to leave the prince alone and careful not to drop him. He forwarded all the information he had to his second-in-command -- the prince’s current location, the Galra’s appearance, and their escape route -- and commanded a search party be sent out to capture the offending galra soldiers immediately.

 

     Being this close to the captain, Lance finally had a chance to see up-close the young man that had the entire court bursting with interest. Lance’s eyes traced his form, noting the sharpness of his jaw, the red crescent markings on the side of his eyes, and the long, dark lashes framing already beautiful violet eyes.

 

     The captain was  _ beautiful _ .

 

    “Thank you,” he mumbled softly after a while of bold fascination. Keith’lan’s eyes flew wide open as he turned towards the prince again, as if he had forgotten that His Royal Highness was still resting in his arms. His face turned pink as he quickly turned away from the prince’s blue eyes.

 

    “It’s only my duty, Your Highness. You ought not to thank me.”

 

    The blush did not go unnoticed by the prince, neither did the shyness behind the captain’s gaze. Pride bubbled up inside him as he recalled that there had been no one in the castle who had been able to make the stubborn captain turn  _ red _ . But maybe this was not the time to rejoice himself with this information. Maybe it was only his imagination making him see what he wanted to see. He  _ had _ hit his head really hard...

 

    However, he did not let the opportunity slip through his fingers. Resting one of his hands on the floor, the prince leaned in closer to the captain, who was now looking anywhere but at him. Without hesitation and taking this to his advantage, Lance pressed a soft kiss to Keith'lan’s warm cheek. The prince was soon rewarded by the sudden look of surprise as the captain turned to stare at him, the pink of his cheeks deepening into a scarlet blush that almost matched the red of his markings.

 

    Now he could proudly say he’d made the stoic Captain Keith’lan blush.

 

    “A reward for saving me then, if you don’t want to accept my gratitude.” Lance chuckled, a slight blush on his cheeks as well as he leaned back into Keith’lan’s arms.

 

    He might have a horrible headache, and he may possibly have a concussion like the captain feared, but the prince thought it was all worth the trouble if he was able to flirt, even if just a little, with the now confused captain.

 

    Keith’lan didn’t seem to know how to react to this blatant display of cockiness; the words stuck in his throat, voice stuttering, as if he was struggling to get his thoughts organized. Lance was more than happy with the outcome.

 

    Luckily for the distressed soldier, he was saved by an incoming transmission on his communicator. Never had the captain been so quick to answer a call before, his stuttering lingering for the first two words before he composed himself, the redness of his cheeks gradually retreating after a while.

 

    Lance still had a smug grin on his face.    

 

-0-

 

    The rest of the cavalry didn’t take long to arrive. The parade of soldiers, with their shiny armors almost as distracting as their handsome faces, were quick to align themselves around the two of them. Granted, Lance needed to keep his mind occupied -- even if he longed to shut his eyes and drift into oblivion again -- and the newly arrived company of soldiers was a good diversion to keeping him awake. 

 

    He didn’t want to think of what awaited him in the castle.

 

    The court medics arrived shortly after the soldiers were given the order to protect the prince, taking away a tired and hurt Lance from the arms of the Captain. Keith’lan, Lance noticed, seemed reluctant to give him away to the physicians who wanted to carry the prince into safety. The captain waved them off with a shake of the head, ready to carry the prince into the transport if it weren’t because Lance refused to let him continue.

 

    A shadow of confusion swept over the captain’s knitted brows. He looked ready to retort with what Lance could only imagine being a reasonable argument, but he had his mind set.

 

    “I can walk, Captain,” Lance assured him with a tired smile. This, of course, was not enough to make the stubborn soldier back off and it was not until the Prince furrowed his eyebrows and gave him the order to let him down that he finally found himself standing on his own feet -- not without a still objecting Keith’lan helping him walk into the medics’ transport.

 

    Truth be told, he wasn’t against the idea of being carried by the Captain; actually, it would have been wonderful to take a little more advantage of his situation, to seek more of those blushed cheeks that he had managed to pull out from the soldier. However, he had played the card of the damsel in distress long enough and there was still something else bothering him, something in the back of his head that he could not shake away.

 

    “Find Kella.” The prince took Keith’lan by his arm before he left him to join the rest of the search party. “Please, find her,” he pleaded. 

 

    The captain stared down at him with an unreadable expression. 

 

    “She… I know she wouldn’t betray me like this if there wasn’t something very wrong going on, please prom-”

 

    “I promise,” Keith’lan interrupted him quite abruptly. The captain placed a gloved hand over the prince’s own, making him go silent. “I will find the little girl, Your Highness needn’t worry. I will capture the galra soldiers and find the source of this betrayal.”

 

    “Don’t hurt her, please, she’s only a child.”

 

    The captain’s gaze softened. “I would never. She will not be hurt, and neither will her family. I’ll make sure of that.”

 

    And, with those words and what Lance guessed was a reassuring smile, the captain was gone. Lance’s skin felt suddenly cold where Keith’lan’s hand had been and he wrapped himself in the blanket that some stranger had given him.

 

-0-

 

    The rumor of the prince’s kidnapping attempt did not take long to spread throughout the city; Lance could notice this as he made his way back to the castle. The transport continued its journey as best as it could, two nurses attending him all the while, inquiring him about his injuries. The prince knew he was answering the questions, he felt his mouth move as the nurses checked his vital signs, but inside him, he felt…  _ numb _ . Still, he could hear the buzzing sound of curious voices coming through the walls of the royal vehicle, the background sound becoming unbearable for him. 

 

    Now that people knew what had happened, how were they going to cope with the knowledge that a group of Galra soldiers had infiltrated the capital? Things were bad enough with the young ones being sent to the front lines, which gave them a certain level of security, but now… he didn’t want to imagine what people might be feeling now as they got to realize that they weren’t as protected as they thought they were.

 

    By the time they arrived at the castle, Lance had been asked all the questions imaginable: from his encounter with the galra to the injuries they caused him and the aftermath when Captain Keith’lan rescued him. He wished not to remember anything about the incident. He felt ashamed of himself, but when the doors of the transport opened and he tried to step out of it, he realized with horror that it would be impossible.

 

    The servants had crowded the only way for him to go out, many there ready to help him, but it overwhelmed him. He didn’t know if it was only his perspective of the situation or if in fact there were more than twenty people around him, probing him with questions and trying to provide him aid, but he could only take so much. Thankfully, the people seemed to notice his discomfort and parted away, giving the prince some space to breathe. It was that or the fact that Allura rushed through the crowd towards him to hold him, cupping his face in her hands, her iridescent eyes wide as she searched for the tiniest scratch on his face.

 

    “I’m fine, ‘llura.” Lance tried to push her away, starting to get dizzy again. “Nothing bad happened.”

 

    “We’ll talk about that later, Lance.” She admonished, although it lacked the spite from her normal scoldings. Lance felt her hands take him by his shoulders, he was too tired to actually pay attention to anything else but the warmth she emanated. He continued moving forward, letting himself be lead by his sister.

 

    He doesn’t remember what happened after that moment.

 

-0-

 

    It was cold; that was the first thing Lance noticed as he regained consciousness. His eyes were shut tightly, heavy eyelids reluctant to open up. He realized he was somehow stuck in place, unable to move his body, unable to  **_feel_ ** his body. He started to wonder if he was indeed awake or if it was a sort of horrible dream in which he had lost any say over his motor skills. Lance tried to flex his fingers, wondering if they were still connected to his body, managing to regain some sensibility on the tip of his fingers and sighing in relief as he slowly started to feel his hands, his arms and eventually his entire body. It was then when he realized that he was not resting against any surface and that, in fact, he was standing still, unknown to him how his legs were holding his weight when he could still not feel them.

 

    Suddenly, a blow of warm air hit him, his numb legs until now unaware of his moving capacities giving up on him as he fell forwards, eyes finally opening only to wake up in a blur of fog and closing them again; his body already expecting the hard hit of the ground.

 

    But this never came to be.

 

    Lance opened his eyes slowly, confused as for why he was not falling to an imminent death (as his brain was already convinced that this was going to be his end) and to whom belonged the arms that held him tightly, not letting his legs support his body.

 

    Keith’lan’s violet eyes stared down at him, a worried expression in his factions. He didn’t say anything, he didn’t have to. Lance was still confused as to why from all people it was his favored guard who had caught him, though he was not complaining at all. The prince opened up his mouth, ready to say something, when someone called him.

 

    “Lance!” someone shouted, the unmistakable sound of her sister’s steps, long and confident, coming rapidly closer to him. Allura’s hands were all over him in no time as she tried to stabilize him with the help of Keith’lan. Her hands came to rest on his face, apparently content with the fact that he showed no sign of hurt, if only maybe tiredness after being resting for what seemed to be hours. “We’ve been worried sick, Lance! Thankfully you’re safe now,” she sighed in relief, smiling at her little brother.

 

    There was silence for a moment, Lance still struggling to catch up with the whole situation. His sister said she was worried, the captain of the guard was still holding him, and he just wanted to sit down. 

 

“I don’t really understand what is going on right now,” Lance croaked, voice hoarse as he leaned a bit more toward the captain “But the only thing I know is that up until a moment ago a handsome boy was holding me in his arms so may I return to that for a moment, sis? Five more minutes.” He turned his gaze back to a now red Keith’lan, whose eyes were focused on anything but the prince. He was obviously flustered with the fact that the prince seemed to be less bashful on demonstrating his delight on being held by him, and that brought Lance great satisfaction.

 

    With a roll of her eyes and muttering an ‘ _ excuse him _ ’ to the captain, Allura pried  Lance  away from his arms. The Captain, who was still blushing, bowed down respectfully and stepped away. Lance didn’t like that, muttering a whine as he pouted at Keith’lan.

 

    “Alright, Lance, I think is time for you to go to your chamber.”

 

-0-

 

    Allura had done her fair of scolding once the weariness of the cryopod had faded away, almost crying at the end of it before he felt compelled to make her laugh. He would much rather see her beautiful smile than the tears falling from her eyes. Once they were laughing again and the fear of what might have happened dissolved into oblivion, they were interrupted by their father. King Alfor stormed in, still in his Voltron armor, face red by the race he had done towards his son’s chambers and eyes unreadable. 

 

    Lance didn’t know what to think about his father’s expression when he entered his room; was he angry at him? Worried? The king was definitely not pleased by the outcome, that much was certain as he not only proceeded to scold his son about the foolishness of his actions, but to ground him for an ‘ **indefinite time** ’. Lance tried not to feel affected by this since he knew that what had happened was partly his fault. He’d known punishment for his actions would come, although he didn’t know if he liked the sound of  _ indefinite _ .

 

    “... This is why I don’t like you going off outside the castle without supervision,” the king continued, pacing from here to there around the prince’s room. Lance laid on his bed with his sister beside him, her hand holding his, his blue eyes glued to his father as he walked. Coran stood in a corner, observing the scene from afar. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but there are  _ risks _ and today is an example of this danger that I’ve always feared. Something worse than our nightmares could have happened today if it weren’t for the Captain.”

 

    “Father, I think I’ve already scolded him enough,” Allura tried to lighten up the mood with a smile. Lance only nodded at her words with a shy smile of his own, unsure if it was right for him to do so. The king, although hesitant at first, sighed and nodded his head before finally sitting down at the edge of the bed.

 

    “I just want you to understand that what we normally do…” Alfor stopped in his speech to correct himself “what we normally  **did** in the past, is now not possible,” he continued as he lay one protective hand over the many blankets that covered his son’s leg. “We are at war, Lance, we need to do our part. Not just wandering around the city -- fooling around...”

 

    “I wasn’t fooling around!” Lance cried out, ready to defend himself, when he noticed the grip on his wrist tightening, shutting him up before he said anything else. He turned his eyes to Allura. The king seemed to be unaware of this gesture as he continued on with his lecture when someone knocked on the door.

 

    “If I may interrupt,” Captain Keith’lan excused himself as he entered the room and bowed before the king. Lance thanked him internally -- he was starting to get bored with all the talk about responsibility and duty that his father was giving them.

 

    “Captain, glad you’re here.” King Alfor smiled, standing up from the bed as to regain the composure that he had laid down now that he was around his family.

 

    “We are so thankful to you for rescuing my brother,” Allura said before the king could continue. “We don’t know what could have happened if you hadn’t been there”   

    The captain seemed to be quite taken aback by the words. His posture was as stern as always but his thumb toyed with the knuckles of his fingers, his eyes shifting every time one of the royals spoke to him. He bowed again, thanking His Majesty and Her Highness for the kind words but assuring that he shouldn’t be praised. 

 

   “It’s my duty to protect the royal family,” Keith’lan spoke as he locked eyes with the king. “And as such, I have some news regarding the progress of our investigation.” His gaze seemed to flick towards Lance, though in a split second it was back on the King. 

 

   Lance frowned at the gesture, lifting his body from the bed, concerned about what he had to say. Keith’lan seemed to be aware of this reaction, looking down for a moment before continuing. “I’m sorry to inform you that when we arrived at the house of the little girl who led the galra to the prince... the whole family was already dead.”

 

    “What…?” Lance’s spoke softly, eyes glued to the captain as he rose from his bed and stumbled awkwardly towards the captain. Allura tried to call for him, but stopped herself, standing and watching how her brother’s eyes started to fill up with tears. 

 

Keith’lan straightened, tight-lipped but unable to look away “Dead? All of them?” the prince asked, barely audible, his voice broken.

 

    “The galra, they escaped after killing the hostages, Your Highness.” Keith’lan seemed to struggle with the words. Regret blanketed his dark gaze as he looked at the prince. “I’m… I’m very sorry. There was nothing we could do.”

 

    “But Kella--she is safe, right? She must be! She wasn’t… she’s only a child!”

 

    The Captain didn’t say anything, the answer crystal-clear in his eyes.

 

     Ever since Lance regained consciousness, knowing Kella’s family was in danger, he had been praying, asking every single deity he knew in the galaxy to protect them, for them to be safe. He hadn’t prayed since the death of his mother but he thought that maybe, just maybe, this time it would be different. Maybe the gods and goddesses would listen to his prayers, maybe they would take pity on him and his actions and grant him this wish, this only wish.

 

    Lance was trying so hard not to cry, but his heart weighed heavy in his chest and the oxygen wasn’t enough for his lungs. He felt so small, so useless, so  **guilty** . If it weren’t for him, if he hadn’t gone to the city... The tears were now impossible to stop, and he turned his back to the captain as he tried to quiet his sobs. A pair of slender arms soon wrapped around him, the unmistakable sweet perfume of his sister comforting him as he let himself cry louder, his sobs muffled into her embrace.

 

    “I-I’ll take my leave, your highness,” the captain said, the king nodding with a silent ‘thank you’ before he disappeared through the door.

 

-0-

 

    The following weeks were just as gloomy as the air they breathed. The murder of Kella’s family became the main topic of conversation inside and outside the castle. King Alfor had already made an official statement about the subject, assuring the people that the guards would make sure to protect them and prevent any other similar attacks.

 

    The royal guard was more active than ever. You couldn’t turn in any corner without seeing some guard posted or a soldier walking by. Although Lance knew that this was perfect for the security of the city, he found it intensively annoying that his father had ordered the soldiers to keep a closer eye on the prince and princess. While Allura didn’t seem to mind it much, Lance found irritating how his personal guard, a boy even younger than himself, would not leave his side. There was no place in which his guard wouldn’t follow him. The prince had noticed that with Allura that was not the case, and he wondered if his father had made the poor guy promise that Lance wouldn’t be left alone under any circumstances.

 

    It was  _ suffocating _ . Lance knew that he wasn’t supposed to go out of the castle, and he wasn’t planning on doing so -- not after what had happened to Kella and her family -- so he thought this measure a little much for his taste.

 

    It took time for Lance to finally get rid of his guard but no one knew the castle like he did. He felt rather bad for doing this to the kid, but he needed time on his own and he couldn’t have it with his guard breathing down his neck. Lance managed to keep running away from his guard for a couple of days before they decided to change him. His new guard was now a tall young man with striking blue eyes and broad shoulders, quite handsome, but in this case, it took even less time to break him. Lance just had to bat his eyelashes, flirt a little and the guard would just let him go on without supervision.

 

    The guard was promptly swapped once they noticed what was happening and, after that, the guards kept changing almost every week. It had become like a hobby to the prince, who had a record of two days with a guard before they were changed. Obviously, this displeased the captain and the king once they learned about his little game. It wasn’t until the fifth guard had broken down when things started to change. Keith’lan would show from time to time to ensure the guards were doing their job. The captain seemed to have an uncanny way of telling when Lance was planning on escaping since he always appeared just before the prince made his moves. Keith’lan even once caught him flirting deviously with his guard, trying to convince him to let him go alone to the library.

 

    The prince knew he couldn’t win when Keith’lan was near, so he surrendered any impulse he had of sneaking from his guards and let the captain win without a fight. Of course, this didn’t mean that he had completely stopped his escaping attempts. However, once the seventh guard had been taken down from his position, Lance knew he was in trouble.

 

    He had been summoned by his father this time around to be introduced to his new guard.  He didn’t understand why his father was making such a fuss this time instead of just randomly placing a new guard on his doorstep like it had been happening for the past few weeks. The prince had come ready to get lectured about responsibility and duty and how he should respect the work the soldiers were doing. His father, however, looked rather tired and frankly disinterested once he entered the great hall and didn’t say much about his son’s behavior towards his guards. Lance guessed this was a problem that was causing him more stress than anything else and he felt rather ashamed about the troubles he must be generating within the castle.

 

The prince stood next to his father once everything was settled, and the doors swung wide open as his brand new guard entered the room. His eyebrows rose in surprise when he saw the altean soldier walking towards them. Captain Keith’lan strolled into the room with the same confidence he emanated when he received his title of captain the first time Lance had seen him.

 

    “Captain Keith’lan is going to be your new bodyguard for now on, son,” the King said to him with a smile “According to your previous guards' reports, you only seemed to behave when Captain Keith’lan was around.” King Alfor seemed content with his choice of guard this time around, maybe thinking that, because of the high rank of the captain, his son would think twice before breaking any rules. He, of course, failed to notice the pink cheeks his son sported.

 

    “I’m honored to serve you as your new guard, Your Highness” Keith’lan’s voice came steadily as he bowed to Lance. The prince had to admit that he was speechless by the news and when Keith’lan rose and their eyes meet, his breath hitched. He suddenly realized that he would have the handsome young captain following him around every single day from now on.

 

    He didn’t mind that at all.

 

-0-

 

    Turns out, Lance minded it more than he thought he would. Captain Keith’lan was not only a diligent soldier but his stoic demeanor infuriated Lance more than he expected. With his other guards, Lance had managed to maintain a cordial and cheerful relationship, only breaking it each time he wanted to be on his own, but with the Captain it was different. Keith’lan’s company was nerve-wracking, to say the least, not only because Lance felt completely exposed under his gaze as if he knew already what he was going to do next, but also because Keith’lan never spoke to him.

 

    It was a law written a thousand deca-phoebs ago that servants and royals must not speak to each other unless it was necessary, but nobody seemed to enforce that law as adamantly as the captain. Every time Lance tried to make conversation with him, Keith’lan would give a short and cordial answer and then he would not open his mouth again unless asked another question.

 

    Their routine would be sort of like this:

 

    Lance would wake up late, as always, and by the time he would come out of his bedroom, the Captain would already be there waiting for him. One time, Lance woke up earlier than usual because there was a meeting he had to attend and Keith’lan was already there at his door; he wondered if he was always this early to his work, but he said nothing about it then. Lance would then go to eat, talk with the lords of the castle and attend social gatherings in which they discussed war matters and the welfare of the people and then head back to his room. Never throughout the day would Keith'lan cave into a conversation with His Highness.

 

    However, this changed after the first week as his personal guard. The sky had this reddish shade that foresaw a feared storm, the air suddenly warmer than usual and the castle bursting with life as the servants ran up and down the stairs making all of the arrangements for the upcoming storm. Out in the city, everyone was moving, ready to take shelter and to protect their belongings, not a single soul at peace except maybe the prince.

 

    Lance stood right at the edge of the balcony, gazing up at the sky, watching the shield stretch out right above their heads as the colors of the sky became more menacing. For the longest of times, Lance had hated those types of days, reminding him of the day his mother passed away, but as time went by and his memories of that day began to fade, the feeling changed; it wasn’t 'hate' anymore, it was melancholy.

 

    “Your Highness should not to be out here. It is safer inside the castle.” Keith’lan’s voice broke the silence of his loneliness, standing a step away from the prince. Lance could count with his hand the times Keith’lan had started a conversation... if one could call those few words a conversation.

 

    “I like it out here,” Lance replied, not moving away from his place, not expecting Keith’lan to move either. He was getting used to the constant company of the other man, knowing perfectly well that the Captain was just as headstrong as he was and would not go even if ordered to go away. “It’s quieter”.

 

    A moment passed, and in two steps he could see out of the corner of his eye Captain Keith’lan standing right next to him. His violet eyes were fixed not towards the sky above them but to the entrance of the balcony, his back turned to the city. 

 

     “I shall stay with you, then,” he spoke softly. There was silence for a moment after this and for just an instant Lance thought that his companion would say no more. He was ready to forget about the captain’s presence just as he had been doing for the past week, but soon he was proven wrong.   

 

    “I… I am terribly sorry for not being able to apprehend the galra who attacked you, Your Highness.”

 

    The prince turned this gaze towards his guard almost immediately, bewildered by his words. He didn't think that there was more to be said about the subject, and he never blamed the Captain for the incident. In fact, if he blamed anyone, it was himself. Keith’lan’s eyes never shifted to look at him, but it was a start.

 

    “You saved my life, Cap’n, I think you did more than enough.” He smiled at Keith’lan, hoping he would turn around to meet his gaze. He didn’t. “May I ask… how did you know where to find me back then?”

 

    “I followed you,” was his simple response.

 

    “You followed me?!” The prince exclaimed, surprised. “How? I’m always so careful when I sneak out of the castle.”

 

    “I believe everyone has noticed that, Your Highness.” Keith’lan tried to hide a chuckle. “I saw you jump out of one of the trees in the garden. Well, to be precise, I saw  _ someone _ jump out of one of the trees so, obviously, I had the duty to follow. I didn’t know it would be Your Highness until I was close enough to recognize the prince’s face.”

 

    “Why didn’t you stopped me then?” Lance asked, puzzled. “You could have easily ordered me to return to the castle.”

 

    Keith’lan’s face turned red, and he took his time before answering. “I’ve seen Your Highness walking through the city before. I knew you were not in danger at that moment so I only followed you... and I’m glad I did.”

 

    To say that the prince was bewildered by this confession was an understatement. He didn’t know what to say about this, the fact that the captain had seen him escape the castle and, instead of bringing him back, he only followed him from afar... Keith’lan was full of surprises, indeed.

 

    “Thank you, really, for everything that you have done” Lance hoped for Keith’lan to say something more, but he didn’t react, only looked down and stayed like that for a while. Considering the chat to be finished, Lance turned his eyes back to the sky. However, he was surprised yet again.

 

    “...But I did not save the child’s family.” Keith’lan’s voice was soft and leaden with guilt. 

 

    Lance’s eyes were wide in astonishment. He didn’t believe anyone else would care about the matter, moreover, he believed the incident to be forgotten. The gods knew that he had been trying to forget it.

 

    “If anything I blame myself for that, Keith’lan” The captain’s eyes finally turned to the prince in pure shock; this being one of the few times they had shared a look. Lance couldn’t quite guess if his reaction was because of his confession or because he had called him by his name rather than his title, but he pressed on. “It was me who the galra were looking for. They probably knew that I had a reputation for sneaking out of the castle and they were waiting for me to do it again... how long they must have been imprisoned in their own house, no wonder Kella looked so terrified when she saw me. She was hoping I wouldn’t go to them.”   
  
  
    “You shouldn’t blame yourself, your highness!” Keith’lan spoke quite passionately, not only his gaze on him now but his entire body facing the prince. Lance was startled by this, and it seemed the Captain was as well, his cheeks turned pink in embarrassment, almost like an apology for his lack of decorum. “... but I still stand on what I said, it was not Your Highness’s fault. The galra shouldn’t have gone past our barrier. It was the lack of security that put Your Highness and the civilians in jeopardy.” 

 

The boiling rocks fell onto the barrier as Keith’lan spoke, his passionate voice creating a soothing contrast against the coarse noise of the rocks. The prince became speechless for a moment, not having considered what the captain had just said.  
  
    “I… I hope I haven’t overstepped my boundaries, Your Highness.” Keith’lan was soon to bow down to his prince, which made him smile.  
  
     “Of course not; and you know, there’s nobody here, you could call me just by my name.” Keith’lan seemed to be completely horrified yet again by the insane proposition, raising his eyes in shock. “Come on, we’ve known each other for quite a while now, haven't we, Keith’lan? You can call me by my name when we’re alone.”  
  
     “I cannot do that, **Your Highness** ,” the poor captain said firmly, seemingly having a difficult time at the moment. “I’ve heard this from the other soldiers, you called them by their names as well, and we know perfectly that that is against the law”

  
  
    “I’m treating them as people. I don’t think that’s against the law, is it now?” Lance crossed his arms, knitting his eyebrows at the captain.   
  


    “You must know that your way of thinking is not well received by others in the castle. You should be more careful with your reputation.”   
  


    Lance rolled his eyes, groaning. “You sound just like my father. Can you at least try not to be so uptight for a moment? I thought we were becoming friends”   
  


    “Servants and royals cannot be friends, Your Highness.”   
  


    “Well, I guess we're not going to be friends, then,” Lance stated, watching how Keith’lan’s eyes became stern again, turning back to the door. There was heat underneath his skin and he didn’t know if it was caused by the warmth of the day or if his discussion was the one to blame. He certainly wasn’t expecting to have such a heated conversation with the captain. 

 

    “What a pity,” he spoke softly, his eyes filled with disappointment. “You were the only person that I thought I could trust besides my sister.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so here we are again <3 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much I enjoyed writing it. You made me so happy with all your comments and support! I must thank my friend Kyra ("gogoing-gxne" in tumblr) and Arivael ("bladechosen" in tumblr) for helping me with the grammar and their opinion, they are the best!
> 
> I sneaked here a little "when harry met sally" quote, I'm a fan of that movie so point to the people that find it! haha :D 
> 
> I would appreaciate your comments and any critic <3 I'm excited to read them and to know what do you think about this :3 
> 
> \- Alondra P.


	3. THE PLAN

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance has a plan and Keith'lan gets overprotective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “The saddest truth is realizing you have fallen madly in love with what can never be”  
>  \--Michael Faudet

     Lance would never forget the expression on the father of Kella, Rhoan, when he went to pay his respects to him. The man was destroyed. Not only had he lost his family, but he also seemed to have lost his reason to live as he repeated  _ ‘it isn’t your fault, your highness, it isn’t _ ”. His eyes were soulless as he spoke, his smile missing his usual liveliness. The man had traveled back to the capital once he got the dreadful news, only to return back to his post on the front lines the day after the service was done. It broke his heart to be the witness of such a thing. A broken man returning back to another hell knowing full well that the only thing he wanted to protect was gone from this world. There would be nights in which Lance would wake up crying; the picture of Rhoan standing next to the three coffins, his pink attire, his face covered by his hands, surrounded by Kella’s favorite red flowers. The scene was burned into his mind, never to be erased. 

 

     A Phoeb had passed since the funeral and yet he felt as if he had done nothing to fix his mistakes. He knew he couldn’t do much when it came to battle strategies or military help, but he could try to convey the needs of his people to the council and see them be solved. The problem with such idea, however, was the council itself. The many conversations and meetings that were held every day inside the castle’s walls did not seem to go anywhere. There is always a ‘but’ to be discussed, a small matter that stops the council to get to a decision; and to make matters worse, he, as a prince, could not share his ideas unless he had addressed them previously beforehand. It would be a tedious job to make things work, but he was determined to be involved. 

 

     “I don’t understand, your highness” Keith’lan expressed himself after he heard every argument of the prince. “If the prince is so concerned with this matter why wouldn’t you ask for a gathering? I’m sure the lords would not oppose” 

 

     While the captain had not changed the way he treated him, he had become an important person in his life in such a small period of time. It was difficult to adjust to his presence at first, even more difficult to be around him after he had so blatantly refused to refer to him as just another friend instead of his title; but Lance was a talkative person, and he couldn’t help to voice his thoughts and feelings, and who was the closest person available? 

 

     “That’s not the problem, Keith’lan” Lance retorted, rolling his eyes. It was quite cute to notice that the Captain would think that the lords would pay attention to him. It was nice, very naive on his behalf, but nice. “The council will not listen to the ideas of the young ones, not unless they had proved themselves; and curse me and my looks, I know I haven’t been the prince perfect everyone expected, that would be Allura, they would trust her with their lives, but me? They still think of me as the little boy who used to play pranks around the castle.” 

 

     When Lance turned to see the captain he was startled by the look on his eyes, his usual pursed brows lowered in a soft expression. It wasn’t uncommon for Keith’lan to gaze at the prince this way when he believed the prince wasn’t looking and Lance couldn’t help but wonder why. Was it pity? The prince didn’t feel it that way. He didn’t feel hurt when Keith’lan stare at him in such a way, in fact. he felt… good. 

 

     Keith’lan’s gaze quickly turned back to his usual stern look when he noticed the prince staring back at him “I am sure it is not like that, your highness, even if you do have a reputation. Prince Lance is part of the royal family, the lords are bound to respect you” 

 

     “Oh sweet Keith,” Lance chuckled, amused by his words. It had become quite the habit to call him by that nickname, even if the captain would rather want him to just address him by his full name. Lance thought the name suits him. Keith’lan had tried to correct the prince many times since he started to call him this way and that moment was no exception, but the prince had continued on completely ignoring the Captain’s complains and eventually, Keith’lan decided to just let it go. “It’s nice to hear that, but no,” Lance shook his head, leaning his back onto his chair as he stretched, his back hurting by his bad posture. “If I just give my ideas without any sort of research everything will backfire. You don’t know how the council is, Keith, a bunch of old Alteans who get all fussy if any plan concerns the use of their money”

 

     Keith’lan, who seemed to be lost in thoughts for a moment, cleared his throat “Then what do you suggest doing, Your Highness?”

 

     With a devious smile Lance jumped toward the many old books he had in front of him, seemingly looking for something “The plan is the following, my dear captain” he winked at him “I’ve been making some research -- I know, I’m amazing --” Lance took the devices he had been looking for, opening it to show a hologram with maps and diagrams that only he could understand. Standing up from his chair, he walked towards Keith’lan, already explaining to him what each graphic meant. “I’ve noticed that our food consumption in the castle hasn’t decreased during the past few months, see? Which is bizarre, right? We are at war after all. Aren’t we supposed to be cutting down the castle’s expenses and all that?”

 

     The captain listened intently, eyes following Lance’s fingers over the screen as he explained. 

 

     “Here now look aaaat this” Lance took his time pulling the records of someone in front of all the other information, a picture of a middle age man coming into view, his bluish long hair already turning grey, but his face not having aged as much. “The council is more worried about the war than our people, even Allura knows that, but she cannot do much when she’s working next to father. Now, I know I’m not a strategy genius, but! I know one thing or two that might help the civilians survive this upcoming winter” Lance pointed at the photo in the hologram. 

 

     “That’s Lord Kalser” Keith’lan pointed out. 

 

     “Exactly! And you know what’s his major function here in the castle, my sweet Keith?” 

 

     With a knitted-brow expression, but not so subtle blush, Keith’lan nodded “He is in charge of the redistribution of goods”

 

     The prince smiled, leaning his elbow over Keith’lan shoulders “Right answer, soldier.” he winked before continuing “This guy is the one who is supposed to provide food to all Altea, his lands count with the majority of crops and they aren’t even near the battlefield (not to forget how rich he is!). Lord Kalser is the person we need to convince to back up our plan. If we want to survive this winter (without having an uprising) we need to collect and conserve as much food as possible.” Lance turned to see the Captain, hoping he was following him. He noticed Keith’lan’s eyes glow again as he looked at him, making feel a little self-conscious about his enthusiasm. “Sorry, I think I got a little carried away”

 

     “No, Please, Your Highness, don’t apologize to me. The prince is very kind towards his people, this is a good start”

 

     The prince’s cheek blushed a little at the kind words, it was the nicest thing the captain had ever said to him since he became his guard, but he wasn’t sure if he could take those words as a compliment or not; he worked for him after all.

 

     “You say the nicest things sometimes, Cap-”

 

     “I-- have only one issue with this plan, your Highness” Keith’lan sounded apologetic. It was so unlike him to interrupt someone with a higher rank than him without reason, even more, if that person was the prince himself. Lance stared at him puzzled.

 

     “What is it?” Lance stood straight again, closing the hologram and all of his notes with it.

 

     “I know this may sound unfounded,” Keith’lan said, obviously hesitant about wording his opinion “but I would prefer if your Highness would not seek to speak with Lord Kalser. I have only seen him from afar but what I’ve notic-”

 

     “I know what you mean, Keith’lan” This time it was Lance’s turn to interrupt. “I saw his complete file and remember that there’s no rumor in this castle that escapes me” He smiled warmly at him. “He doesn’t have a good reputation, so what? I don’t have one either”

 

     “Your Highness, do not compare yourself with him! You are so--” The captain opened his eyes widely and stopped himself before he could say anything else, changing his demeanor immediately and straighten himself. “I don’t trust that man”

 

     Lance stared at him bewildered. Keith’lan almost drop the formalities and for a moment he actually believed he was going to compliment him. However, he should have known better “Well, that Lord is our only chance to get the council to approve our plan. We’ll have to make do”

 

**-0-**

 

     Rumors in high society were not something unusual, in fact, it was the only entertainment they had inside the boring walls of the constricted place. The castle life wasn’t as extravagant as many citizens believed it to be. The days ran short with all the work at hand and there was not much to talk about besides the lives of others, ergo the insanely amount of gossip that circled around the prince. 

 

     Lance was already used to ignore the comments, they never really bothered him much, never really paid that much attention to them. If anything, he took them as a compliment. His theory was that only relevant people got to have rumors.

 

     Lord Kalser was one of those people. With long light blue hair that was neatly tied up in a simple braid; letting everyone notice the sharpness of his jawline and a pair of teal long marks at each side of his purple-ish inquisitive eyes that seemed to know every secret about everyone. He was the type of person who inspired presence, everyone turning their heads when he entered a room, no matter whether they approve of him or not. 

 

     Most of the rumors surrounding the Lord were not so flattering, however. The Lord was a flirtatious character by nature and the gossip about his different attempts on wooing and seducing the naive youngsters only for a moment before he decided to change target was in the mouth of everyone who lived in the castle. While Lance’s rumors were about stolen kisses and secret relationships, comparing them with Lord Kalser’s, it would make anyone blush. But surely most of them were lies, people always liked to make a drama out of nothing. Besides, he was a married man, and while the Lord did seem to be a little secretive, Lance has never seen him actually performing the atrocities his rumors claimed him to do.

 

     Keith’lan, however, was still not convinced by the prince’s choice. 

 

     “I don’t know, Lance,” Allura commented one night both siblings were alone in Allura’s room, finally having some time to catch up. “I haven’t talked much with Lord Kalser myself, but if Keith’lan doesn’t think is a good idea maybe you should listen to him”

 

     Lying on her bed and with his head staring up at the ceiling, Lance took a deep breath, closing his eyes. It was such a relief to finally unwind with his sister after a rough week. Keith’lan was outside of Allura’s room next to her own guard and he was not going to interrupt them for a very long time. “I did listen to his opinion and I appreciate his concern, but honestly ‘llura, rumors are only that, rumors!” Lance claimed “Or do you really believed the rumor that I invited every one of my previous guards to my quarters for a little party?” he raised his brow towards her.

 

     “It’s that what they are saying now?” Allura laughed, making her brother chuckle, but quickly sighing at the idea and going back to a more serious demeanor. “But, Lance, sometimes rumors ring true, too, you have to be very careful with who you trust and who is lying. Yes, maybe most of the rumors surrounding Lord Kalser are false, but that doesn’t mean you can rely on that 100%” 

 

     “I don’t understand what’s the big deal about this Lord? Yes, he flirts; so what? I flirt, too”

 

     “The fact that you don’t see the problem really concerns me, little brother,” Allura pursed her lips “But if you are set in this idea then I know I can’t convince you otherwise. I will support you -- even against my judgment -- just remember to be careful”

 

     “Come on, Allura! I’ll be fine! I am 21, I’m a sharpshooter and my guard looks like he is ready to fight anyone that comes near me; you don’t need to sound like mother” 

 

     “I will take that as a compliment” She bowed her head, a bright smile on her face. “And you should trust more in Keith’lan’s instincts, he’s not the Captain of the guard for nothing”

 

     “Of course” He chuckled “And I do trust Keith’lan, It just that he is too extreme sometimes; he glares at everyone who talks to me with such intensity it scares me, it’s even worse when I flirt with someone, he is constantly there scaring everyone away. I don’t know what’s up with him lately, it didn’t use to be like that. Since I told him about convincing Lord Kelsar, he’s being even more overprotective” 

 

     “Talking about him,” Allura asked with a devilish tone in her voice, her eyes sparkling with curiosity after the interesting comment. “How are things going with  _ Cap’n Keith’lan _ as your new guard? You haven’t changed this one yet”  

 

     Lance groaned, covering his face with all the pillows he could find, trying to escape the question “I wish I had something interesting to tell you, sister, but honestly, Keith is so boring most of the time, cute, but boring”

 

     “ _ Keith _ ?” Allura lifted a puzzled brow to which Lance only frowned with a not so subtle blush “But I heard that you were both getting along quite well”

 

     “I mean… yes” He lifted his body from the bed to sit on it instead “But… that doesn’t mean he wants to talk with me.” 

 

     It was a confusing topic for Lance to talk about the Captain. In one hand he really wanted him to open up to him, to be a friend; in another, Lance wanted to flirt with him and for him to be like many other boys and girls who died for his attention. However, he didn’t want that at all, he didn’t want to play that game with him. 

 

     “He is so different from any other soldier -- any other boy -- I’ve known, Allura, I don’t know if he actually likes me or not, sometimes I feel he is very caring with me and other times I feel he ignores me, and even then I don’t know if he is ignoring me because he is supposed to not talk to me or because he simply doesn’t want to talk with me”

 

     “Oh Lance,” Allura smiled, “You are overthinking it too much, Keith’lan doesn’t hate you, he estimates you very highly. He is only quiet” 

 

     Lance stared at his sister, the kind words and soft gaze enough to make him feel much better “Maybe you are right” 

 

**-0-**

 

     One would believe that talking with someone who works alongside you would be easy. However, the task Lance had set to himself proved to be difficult in ways he never thought possible. Lord Kalser was more popular than he expected, finding quite hard to find a moment to come closer to him in the first place. Every meeting they attended to or if they were in the same room, people would go talk to the lord for whatever reason and he had to restrain himself from going his way. 

 

     Keith’lan has also become quite an impediment when he least expected it. The prince could not believe how his guard would pull him away from the smallest opportunities he had to talk to the Lord. There was always a reason why he could not continue: another reunion to go, papers to sign, classes to attend. Always something!

 

     “Are you plotting against me, Keith’lan?” One day Lance finally faced him after another council reunion, his mind tired of brewing reasons to why his guard acted in such a way. The prince stopped on his tracks in an act of rebellion, making Keith’lan stop with him as well.  

 

     “I beg your pardon, your Highness?” The Captain seemed puzzled. 

 

     “Don’t act silly with me, Keith, I’ve noticed you’ve been trying to stop me from talking to Lord Kalser” Lance rolled his eyes, he had had enough of Keith’lan’s attitude. He wasn’t stupid and it hurt that his own beloved guard would believe him to be so for him not to notice his intentions. 

 

     It was a surprise to see that the Captain, rather than denying everything, just sighing in resignation. “I am sorry, your highness” were his initials words, which were enough to make Lance’s heart sank. He thought he could trust Keith’lan, he ... “I am trying to stop you, but I swear by the gods that my only concern is to protect you, your highness”

 

     “Please, drop the formalities already” Lance muttered to himself with exasperations rather than to Keith’lan. His hands ran through his silver hair, tired of the same reason being used again and again. “How is me, talking to the Lord, in any way dangerous, Keith’lan?”

 

     The captain didn’t seem to be faced with the attitude of the prince, his gaze of determination fixed on him as he talked “I have reasons to believe that he is not to be trusted. I have seen the way he treats some of my own soldiers, it is not a behavior I want the prince to witness or to be near it, I understand that he might seem to be the only way to fix the problem with the council, but I am sure that--”

 

     “He is the only way” Lance cut him abruptly, brows frowned. Yes, he understood his guard completely, and he understood he was doing his job, but things were going too far. “Keith’lan, I appreciate you, but I don’t want you to interfere with this. I am not a poor little thing in need of protection. I know how to defend myself” 

 

     “Clearly, just like you did when I rescued you from the galra” Keith’lan huffed

 

     “That was just one time!” Lance gasped horrified, embarrassed that he took that moment as ammo “I’m one of the few people who can hold up a fight with my sister, and she is an amazing warrior”

 

     “you still need to be guarded” Keith’lan continued on, his manners completely forgotten.

 

     “But from the Galra, not from people who work in the Castle with us, Keith” The prince frowned as he unconsciously walked closer towards his guard. 

 

     “That lord Kalser is a pervert old man who has taken advantage of many in the castle and has no shame to stop, and I doubt he is going to stop with you only because you are the prince” Keith’lan retorted taking a step towards Lance who was just as heated as he was “You want to ask him for support, but who knows what he will ask in exchange, have you thought about that, Lance?”

 

     “No, but…” The prince stuttered taken aback by the captain’s words.

 

     “When you walk into a room you are the center of attention, everyone is looking at you, even that Lord, and the way he looks at you is...” He cut himself before continuing, Lance could notice the anger in his voice, “How is that you don’t notice the way he sees you, Lance?” 

 

     The prince’s eyes were open in pure shock as he tried to process all the information his captain has just given, all his reasons to resent the Lord, things he has never noticed before. However, his brain came back to one single word. 

 

     “You’ve just called me by my name” He gasped softly. 

 

     The captain’s purple eyes widen up, brows that were frowned before now raising in complete awe, realizing now how close they came to be to one another. He stepped back, his cheeks turning a beautiful rosy color as Lance kept staring back at him with his huge blue eyes almost glowing, his own brown cheeks turning reddish in comparison.  

 

     “I am sorry, your highness” Keith’lan quickly bowed down “I shouldn’t have done so”

 

     “No, I don’t mind. I have to thank you, actually” Lance stated, gaining the captain’s look of confusion when he raised his eyes up to meet his. “If you hadn’t spoken your mind, I wouldn’t have thought about what you’ve said.” Keith’lan tried to excuse himself again yet Lance didn’t let him. “I didn’t think about what the lord might ask of me if I were to talk to him, and that was a serious mistake”

 

     “But… Is your highness still continuing with the plan?” There was a tone of disappointment in his voice. 

 

     “Oh, yes, of course” Lance smiled, going back again into his easy-going nature, trying to lighting up the mood again “But we’ll do this together, so there are no complications” He grabbed the captain by his arm, walking together along the hallway that was the witness of their small argument just moments ago. The captain seemed to be in complete numbness as he walked beside the prince, not so sure yet how to act “we are making progress with you,” Lance said quietly, looking at him askance “we had our first big argument, we are practically an old married couple now”

 

     “Your Highness, please, don’t joke like that… I can be decapitated for this” Keith’lan sighed, not even trying to pull himself from the prince’s grasp.

 

     “You do actually believe this is the old times, don’t you?” Lance chuckled, amused by his reaction. “calling me by my name is not gonna get your killed, now if you kiss me that’s a totally different story, but we are not there yet, my Cap'n” he winked at him to which the captain’s face glowed tremendously in reaction.

 

     “I’m just joking, Keith’lan” Lance added.

 

     The captain let out a deep breath as if he had been holding it for a long time “Sometimes, I do wish it were the old times” he muttered, his face ever so red. For a moment, Lance thought that maybe his comment had been too much for their usual teasing, but as he turned his gaze to look at him, he could notice his captain smiling, even if it were the tiniest of smiles, but a smile nonetheless. Lance could get used to that smile.

 

**-0-**

 

     The prince has never noticed the way people stared at him. His captain had said he was the center of attention, and he guessed he was right on that account, It was prone to happen, he was the prince after all; but after the argument with Keith’lan it was harder not to notice how certain person in the council looked out his way more often than not. It gave him goosebumps. He felt as if nothing could be hidden under his gaze, and for some reason, he felt the need to hide behind Keith’lan everytime he caught the Lord staring his way. Has it always been this way?  

 

     “It is a beautiful day, isn’t it, my prince” A deep voice came from behind, taking him by surprise. Lance turned, finding the oh-so-infamous Lord Kalser standing right behind him with a coquettish smile on his face, his long bluish hair resting neatly over his shoulder. 

 

     Lance had been standing alone by the balcony as he waited for Keith’lan to arrive from a meeting and was in no way ready to have a conversation alone with the Lord, not even if he had been ‘preparing’ himself for this moment. After all that had happened and all the talking, he felt rather nervous. 

 

     “It is a beautiful day indeed, my lord” He replied kindly, trying not to let out his true concern feelings.

 

     “I’ve noticed that your guard isn’t with you at present, has he taken ill?” He took a step closer, standing now next to him. Lance has never repaired on the height of the man, he was at least a head taller than himself, and while his voice, soft as velvet, was enticing, he only wished for Keith’lan to return as quick as possible. 

 

     “He’s in a meeting with the rest of the soldiers, he will come back as soon as it is finished”

 

     “And he leaves you here to be on your own, my prince? Isn’t that irresponsible of him?” The Lord raised his brow.

 

     “Oh, not at all! The meetings never take long and he is the Captain, so he has to be there”

 

     Lord Kalser hummed, seemingly understanding the situation. There was a bizarre atmosphere surrounding them, Lance could notice as he stood awkwardly next to the Lord. Never, since the prince entered society, has the lord bothered himself to make conversation with him; So why did he approach him this time around and what were his intentions? Lance couldn’t fathom. He turned his head towards the hallways, hoping to see Keith’lan’s figure approaching anytime soon. 

 

     “I’m sure your highness feels relief to have a time to himself, am I at wrong?” The Lord suddenly said, probably noticing how Lance kept looking back. The prince could notice his smile, his features almost cat-like, his sharp eyes on him. He understood now the appeal he had on others.

 

     “It’s nice, but I don’t mind his company at all”

 

     It seemed that what he said made Lord Kalser feel amused since the man chuckled at his words “I am sorry, my prince, but I find unbelievable that you can appreciate time with that man. I mean no offense” 

 

     “The Captain is a good person!” Lance gasped.

 

     “I am sure, your highness,” Lord Kalser bowed apologetic, “I’m only referring to the fact that it must be suffocating to be with someone all day long. The captain seems to me like a very uptight person” 

 

     The words hanged in the air as the prince processed the Lord’s comment. While yes, he had shared that idea at first, he no longer felt like that. Keith’lan had become a friend, a close friend, even if Keith’lan didn’t consider him one. “He is,” Lance commented “But he is a nice person once you get to know him, he’s not so bad”

 

     “Then my impressions must be wrong,” Lord Kalser smiled in resignation, “Prince Lance must be close to him if he approves of him”

 

     “I’m not that close…” He shook his head, his face slightly pink.

 

     “I beg to differ” The lord was soon to interrupt, “Since Captain Keith’lan arrived at the castle his popularity has been decreasing continuously, unlike the prince, who is always in everyone’s good books; sometimes, I wondered how someone so lovely as yourself had to deal with someone as sour as the Captain, but it seems I was mistaken”

 

     Was… was Lord Kalser flirting with him? He couldn’t tell, however, even if his mind couldn’t decide if it was merely a compliment of a flirtatious comment, he could not stop his cheeks from turning red. Normally, it was him who flirt with people, it was hardly the other way around, but when it had happened it was so hard to tell his heart to stop beating, even if the feeling wasn’t reciprocated. There was a knowing look on the Lord’s purple eyes, a glow only someone who felt really confident about himself would portray. “L-lord,” Lance stuttered at first, ready to change the subject “There was something I actually wan--”

     

     “Prince Lance,” Another voice broke in loudly, making both royals turn their heads towards it. Captain Keith’lan was walking steadily to where they were. Lance could notice the deadly gaze again gracing his guard’s features. His captain was obviously displeased. 

 

     His blue eyes widen up suddenly, his body shuddering at the warm touch of someone holding his hand. “It seems your guard is no longer busy, your highness” Lord Kalser was quick to say, lifting the prince’s hand to kiss. “I’ll take my leave, maybe some other day we can continue our conversation” The Lord didn’t wait for the prince’s answer before smiling at him and walking away, greeting his captain on his way out. 

 

     Lance was speechless, not knowing how he should react to such a situation. His hand felt warm after his touch, but not in a nice way. He grabbed it, rubbing it in discomfort, trying to take away that feeling. 

 

     “Your Highness, what happened? I thought we were going to talk to him together” Keith’lan asked once he stood in front of him, eyes fixed on him with a tint of hurt. His guard’s hand almost trying to reach him, as if he wanted to be sure he was completely fine. 

     

     “He came to me,” Lance replied puzzled, “I don’t know what he wanted, we barely talked…”

 

     “But did you… I mean, did your highness managed to talk about the plan?” 

 

     “No, I couldn’t. He left the moment I was about to” There was a moment of silence in which both of them stared back where the Lord had disappeared just moments ago, the gate of the balcony suddenly the center of their attention. Keith’lan’s eyes glared at it as if at any moment the man would walk back through it. Lance had never had a chance to speak to the Lord before, but now that he had he could understand why Keith’lan and Allura were so against it.

 

     “I’ve been hearing rumors…” Keith’lan uttered, finally cutting the silence. “I was hoping they were not true, but now… I don’t know” 

 

     “You know what I think about rumors, Keith” Lance pursed his lips with a sigh but didn’t stop him.

 

     “This rumor concern yourself, your highness, and Lord Kalser” Keith’lan turned his head at him, concern filled in his eyes. Lance should have expected it, however, the sole thought of it made his stomach shrink. “It goes without saying that it was not pleasant to hear, --let alone imagine-- and I don’t know how much of it is true, but one thing is for sure -- Lord Kalser had set his eyes on you, your highness” Keith’lan spoke rather angrily, eyes fixed on Lance trying to read any of his expressions. the tension that grew around them was palpable, the knowledge that a man, much older than himself being interested in him was not something he could allow, yet there was no evidence or trace of his demeanor other than plain rumors and subtle glances, even if he felt uncomfortable with his presence he really couldn’t do much about it. The prince’s eyes were glued to the floor, his expression unreadable. If he had been looking at his guard, if he had only been paying more attention, he would have seen him biting his lips, hesitating to open up his mouth and taking a deep breath before speaking.

 

     “Lance” The captain muttered his name, the guilt of saying it heavy on his voice. Lance finally met his gaze with wide eyes. “Are you sure you want to continue with this plan? You don’t have to do it,” Keith’lan dared to take a step forward “There are other ways you can help the people of Altea, you do not have to deal with this man if he makes you uncomfortable”

 

     Lance opened his mouth, yet the words got stuck in his throat. He wanted to tease Keith’lan, he had just called him by his name, but the time was not right, and he feared that if he did so Keith’lan would stop doing it. The captain was staring at him, hoping for an answer, his violet eyes filled with concern. Lance felt that he would do anything for him, and maybe he would.  

 

     “There’s no other way I can help, Keith” Lance placed his hand on his shoulder, staring at the golden details of his red cape. “Or maybe there is, but who am I to change the mind of many here?” voicing his thoughts hurt more than he would like to admit. He had so much to give, yet no one would give him the chance to prove himself, so he had to fight, and sadly, this was his fight. “No… I’ll set things straight with the lord and hope they don’t escalate. besides, you will be by my side, right?” he smiled.

 

     “Always” Keith’lan replied.

 

**-0-**

 

     The lord's intentions became more noticeable in the following days. The gazes he struck the prince were less subtle and more daring, always paying compliments whenever he was around, making sure the prince would hear them; although the lord hadn’t tried to speak to him again. Lance didn’t pay much attention to this matter, not until he noticed how Lord Kalser smiled at him across the hall, his body language making him believe that the lord was going to walk his way, when he would suddenly stop, going in another direction. This behavior had happened twice already, realizing then that it only occurred when Keith’lan was nowhere to be seen and would stop when his guard returned to his side. 

 

     Whatever matter he wanted to discuss with him, he certainly did not want Keith’lan to be around to listen. Lance cared very little about his intentions, a week had passed since the rumors started and it was time for him to stop all this nonsense. Enough was enough. 

 

     “Are you sure about this, your highness?” Keith’lan commented again, once they were in private. They were both in one of the many countless rooms of the great castle, and it was smaller in comparison to the great hall or the throne room. In other words, perfect for a small conversation.

 

     The previous day, Lance had waited until Keith’lan was in one of his meetings to talk with the lord, requesting a small meeting with him. It goes without saying how delighted Lord Kalser was to hear the prince, from all people, asking him to meet in private. Lance didn’t take long to clarify that he wanted to talk about certain matters, yet the Lord only wanted to know if they were going to be alone.

 

     “Just trust me on this one, Keith. He wouldn’t come if you were here with me, for some reason he wants to talk to me alone,” Keith’lan was soon to roll his eyes in exasperation, but he continued anyway “I think it is better to give him the satisfaction to make him believe he has that privilege.”   

 

     The captain was still not convinced, but there was little he could do to change his mind. Already acquainted with the prince’s stubbornness, the captain sighed in defeat, bowing down to his prince before ‘leaving’ the room. There was something endearing in the way Keith’lan looked at him before walking away. His eyes conveying playfulness and something that Lance could translate as ‘what am I going to do with you?’. The development of their relationship was palpable. Lance had never felt this comfortable with any other person beside Allura. Lance gave him a half-hearted smile, sitting down on a chair ready to rehearse what he wanted to say. 

 

     It didn’t take long for a voice to break the silence of the room. “I must admit, your highness,” The voice of the Lord came through as the door opened, letting his figure enter the room. “When you told me your guard wasn’t going to join us I honestly believed he would not let you have your way, but I guess I am wrong again” He seemed quite happy. The smile he had on his face was genuine, yet Lance knew he had to be careful on his advances. He was starting to believe the rumors, and he was ready to make a stop of them while also putting his plan into action.  

 

     “This matter does not concern him” was his cold reply as he stood up from his chair to greet his guest. He was thankful Keith’lan knew his words were lies. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you for a while now, but the opportunity never arose, I thought I might as well arrange this small meeting” Lance explained. 

 

     “I couldn’t agree more, your highness” Lord Kalser bowed down before sitting right next to him. Lance could notice now how well groom he was, even more than usual. His robes were neatly ironed and his scent was stronger. Lance disliked him. 

 

     It was sooner than later that Lance started to give his small presentation. He gave no chance for a small talk, hoping to finish this business as soon as possible. He hadn’t noticed how nervous he was until that moment. His hands were sweating and he felt his voice shaking, even though he could hear it steady as he spoke. His presence was nerve-wracking. His violet eyes were not on the screen he was showing, but on him, always on him, with that cat-like smile of his.

 

     “This is the reason why I wanted to speak to you, M’lord” Lance sighed, after long minutes of talking. “I hope you can see why this is important”

 

     “Oh, I think you have outdone yourself, my prince” Lord Kalser nodded, finally looking at the screen showing the numbers “This is a very well done report, have you done all of this by yourself?” Lance, who was trying to calm himself, and feeling rather accomplished, only smiled, glad to see that he seemed to be actually interested. “But you know…” He soon changed his tone of voice, “You didn’t have to bother with all this only to ask for a little of my time”

 

     “I beg your pardon?” Lance frowned, puzzled by his actions. 

 

     “The castle has been talking, your highness”The lord was quick to take Lance’s hand, softly caressing it as he spoke. His violet eyes fix on his own “We know that you didn’t just invite me here to speak about some poor civilians” 

 

     As the Lord leaned closer, thinking that he had the prince in his hands. Lance stood up quickly, yanking his hand away from him. “I think you’ve mistaken my actions, m’lord”  

 

     Lord Kalser, bewildered by the prince reaction, soon stood up. He frowned at him, his mouth agape as he tried to process what had just happened. “Excuse me” He finally spoke, in almost a chuckle “What is going on here, why did you call me?”

 

     “I need your help, that is why I’ve been talking for more than ten minutes here!” Lance exploded, finally getting tired of this. “I’ve been trying to convince you to help me this whole time, Didn’t you listen to my presentation”

 

     “I am sorry, your highness…” The Lord stared back at the little screen on the table and then back to the prince. “I was lost in my own thoughts and hoping the rumors to be true. The prince is so beautiful, I never fathom the idea before, never dared, but they give me hope and then I noticed how sometimes you would look my way” 

 

     The Lord had come close to him again, holding his hands on his. He stared right into his eyes, his speech passionate and his hands soft. Lance felt overwhelmed by the declaration, yet he hoped his hesitation when speaking didn’t let him believe something different.

 

     “Never believe rumors, m’lord” He simply said as he tried to let his hands slip through his grasp, yet the Lord did not let him go. He held him tight in place, leaning closer. 

 

     “All rumors have truth in them, your highness, I’ve seen the way you act around me, you cannot hide that you have feelings for me”

 

     Lance was ready to push him away when it was the Lord himself who stood straight, his grip softening considerably. 

 

     “I would suggest you let the prince go, Lord Kalser” Keith’lan’s voice came through from behind the lord. Lance was thankful for his intervention, but his captain had disobeyed one of his orders by doing so.

 

     “I told you to wait for my signal, Keith’lan” Lance sighed, stepping away from the lord. Who, with a knowing smile, shook his head in disbelieve. Knowing full well that he was trapped.

 

     Keith’lan had his hand on his bayard, the other holding a knife close to the lord’s back. One struck and the lord would be bleeding himself to death, just like that, but of course, it will not come to that point -even when the captain was more than tempted. “I’m sorry, your highness,” Keith’lan exclaimed, his eyes angrily fixed on the lord “I could not stand still and be the witness of this behavior”

 

     “He was here all along” The Lord mumbled loud enough for Lance to hear.

 

     “Of course he was! I trust him with my life,” Lance quickly retorted as if it were the most natural thing, crossing his arms. It annoyed him the way the lord didn’t seem to be worried, his smug grin only making him want to smack him in the face. All that time preparing for this moment and he just wanted… nevermind what he wanted, it had all been a waste of his time. “and he was right to be suspicious about you”

 

     Keith’lan pressed his blade against his back, just as a reminder of his behavior. “You could be stripped out of your position, M’Lord,” the captain said matter of factly “So I suggest you listen to the prince, there will not be a third time”

 

     Letting out a sigh, the lord nodded, his eyes fixed on the prince again. 

 

     “I’ll be brief, m’lord” Lance continued talking, this time his friendly facade gone completely “We need food to give our civilians for the upcoming winter and a better distribution system. Right now our staff have their hands full with the galra and are not capable of designing such a plan. Well, I have.”

 

     “Sounds great to me, your highness” The Lord commented, not without feeling the sharp pain of the knife tighter against his skin. 

 

     “My only problem is that I need to find where to subtract the food and how to convince the council” Lance continued on, eying at Keith’lan just to make sure he wouldn’t peer through the Lord’s skin. 

 

     “And that’s why you need me, isn’t it?” 

 

     Lance nodded. “Lord Kalser, you have the largest crops in Altea and you are also a highly regarded member of the council”

 

     “for some reason…” Keith’lan mumbled.

 

     Lance gave Keith’lan a look before continuing “I want you to help me get my plan through the council and bring your supplies to every region in Altea” Lance pressed on, ignoring his guard’s remark.

 

     “It’s not a bad plan, your highness, I must say” The Lord agreed, and in an act of defiance he crossed his arms, his stand losing. “But I gain nothing by doing that, if anything, I lose money and time, so why would I help you?”

 

     He shouldn’t have said that. in a quick movement, Keith’lan had the lord on his knees, head up and knife against his throat. Even Lance gasped at the sudden movement, not expecting his guard to act in such a way. “Keith!” Lance gasped, staring at the picture before him. The neatly tied hair of the lord was a mess, stands of bluish hair falling from his braid; he could see even some blood dripping out from his neck where the knife was pressing on. 

 

     “How do you think the king will react when he gets to know that you have tried to take advantage of his son?” The captain questioned his prisoner, holding him tight. 

 

     “I did no--!” Keith’lan cut him short.

 

     “Yes, you did. we have evidence” The captain growled as he tugged his hair back tightly “to touch royalty is forbidden by law, to try to be romantically involved is even punished by death in some cases with very few exceptions. You are already not one of the favorite members of the council, Lord Kalser, so I suggest you either help the prince get his plan through or I’ll make sure you get what you deserve”

 

     “Keith,” Lance said calmly, his eyes softly focused on his guard. He didn’t need to say anything else, it took no time for Keith’lan to release the tight grip he had on the lord, letting the man gain his composure again. 

 

     “It’s your call, M’lord” Lance addressed the older man now, looking down at him. “You help us for the good of the universe and Altea, or you might say bye bye to your luxuries and lovers”

 

     The Lord’s answer was as expected.

 

**-0-**

 

     While Lance’s favorite season was spring, he appreciated the beauty of each of the different seasons Altea had to offer the universe and winter was by far one of his favorites. The leaves would turn into beautiful purple and orange hues reminiscing the cloudless sunset sky that he usually contemplated from the window of his room in cold afternoons. The once green grass was a dark teal color that Lance adored, and his favorite trees would lose their leaves, making the once brown logs turn as black as black can be. 

 

     It was there, inside the maze of bushes and trees and fallen leaves, in which Lance let himself drop onto the teal grass with a sigh, letting his back lay over the dark log of a bare tree once everything was done with the lord. He didn’t know where else to go, his room didn’t feel right at the moment and neither he wanted to be inside the castle, and he knew Keith’lan wouldn't let him go out to the city. So he sat there, his long legs spread over the grass, his arms langley resting on either side of his body, the sun ready to give its last rays of light. 

 

     “Your Highness?” Keith’lan said after being silent the entire way to the garden. Lance appreciated his attempt to give him space. After they walk out of the room, he had assured him that he was alright, but as they continue walking he wasn’t so sure anymore. 

 

     “I’m alright, Keith” Lance pulled his knees towards his chest, hands resting on them. The sky was still a beautiful shade of pink. He turned to see his guard, he stood awkwardly behind him, eyes looking at anything but him. “You’ve been standing up this whole time, you must be tired” he patted the grass next to him “here, why don’t you sit down for a while”

 

     Surprisingly, Keith’lan didn’t hesitate much to his offer. With a last look at his surroundings, Keith’lan clumsily sat next to the prince. Lance stared at him, trying to imagine what could possibly be going on through his head. Keith’lan seemed to be out of place with his armor on and his legs resting over the grass. Lance looked askance at his guard, examining his features, his long lashes always so distinctly thick; and his fingers fidgeting with each other nervously. The Captain maintained silence for a good moment, then turned at the prince, opened his mouth and once he noticed Lance staring back at him he closed it again. 

 

     The sequence was repeated plenty of times, enough for Lance to take pity on him. “It’s okay if you don’t say anything, Keith” Lance turned with a comforting smile. 

 

     “Thank you” Keith’lan sighed. Lance could feel how the weight lifted from his body. 

 

     the silence continued, both of them staring at the evening sky, the lights of the castle turning on as the night fell over Altea. It looked so peaceful, it was hard to imagine that there was a war going on, that right at that moment, people were dying. They didn’t say anything to each other for a while, Lance still didn’t know what to think about what had happened with the Lord. 

 

     “would you rather go inside now, your highness? Is getting cold” Keith’lan commented.

 

     “No, I rather stay here a little longer” Lance bit his lips as he kept looking to the sky. There was a pause and then he let his head fall onto Keith’lan’s shoulder. To his surprise, the captain didn’t move away, but he could feel his body tense again. The armor made it very difficult to be comfortable, but Lance didn’t move, it felt warm next to him. “Your armor is hard” he commented nonchalantly. 

 

     “It’s supposed to be that way” Keith’lan replied, not attempting to move the prince away. 

 

     There was another moment of silence, neither of them knew exactly what to say or how to phrase their thoughts. Lance couldn’t see his guard’s face, but secretly he was thankful for that. His cheeks were burning and his mind continued to wander back to what happened back in the castle’s room hours before. 

 

     “I’ve never kiss anyone before” Lance suddenly blurred out. He could feel the captain’s body shifting underneath him, his head moving so to meet his gaze, but Lance was not looking at him. “I know,” he sighed in amusement “there are many rumors about me going around about kisses and secret rooms inside the castle-- and I never really cared about them! But today”

 

     Lance sat down straight suddenly, leaving the comfort and warmth of Keith’lan’s side to the cold of the evening air. “He actually believed them! He-- He intended-- He almost--” Lance was promptly silenced by the soft touch of a hand over his shoulder, drawing him closer back to Keith’lan’s side. The hug was awkward, he could tell by the way Keith’lan tried to hold him the best way possible, almost as if he didn’t know what to do with his arms. 

 

     “I’m not very good with words” Keith’lan started, his voice soft and insecure “and I know this is against the law… and I’m really not... good at hugging” Lance chuckled as he continued “ But he shouldn’t have done so, regardless of the rumors, your highness”

 

     The prince smiled, arms firmly wrapping around Keith’lan as they hug. He didn’t remember the last time someone hugged him. It was maybe his sister, Allura’s hugs were the best thing in a cold winter night, however, he started to believe that Keith’lan’s (although awkward) were just as good “Thank you, Keith” Lance hid his face into the crook of his neck. He felt so much warmer now, his heart pumping faster and his cheeks becoming rosy by the proximity. 

 

     “Your Highness, look!” His voice startled him, his mind already forgetting about the world surrendering him. Lance broke the hug, his eyes marveling at the spectacle before them. Small snowflakes slowly fell towards the cold grass, painting the garden with white snow.  

 

     “It’s the first snow of winter” Lance smiled. 

 

     “It’s beautiful” Keith’lan commented, eyes still lingering upon the sky above. the prince stared at this Keith’lan, a soft and caring Keith’lan who was smiling a smile so bright he could stare at it forever. 

 

     “It is” Lance agreed with a moonstruck gaze, yet he wasn’t referring to the snow, but to someone far more beautiful. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And finally, here it is chapter 3. I am sorry for the delay, I've been so busy and so have been my betas that this chapter has not been checked by them so there might be some mistakes which I take full responsibility for. But, after this last season (which I haven't finished watching mind you) I decided that it was the best time to drop this chapter. 
> 
> I hope you like it and that you stay tuned for the next one :) comments and critics are well received 
> 
> p.s: (spoilers) I still don't know what the hell was that about of altean lance?? I haven't seen that episode yet but from the spoilers I've seen, they seemed that nobody knows what happened there. I guess we now have the chance to transform that into actually good content.


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